The South African Police Service (SAPS) on Friday tried to allay panic following a spate of child abductions and kidnappings in the country.
The SAPS assures the country that continuous awareness and educational talks on the safety of children are done at various institutions including schools, SAPS Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said.
This came after a spate of child abductions and kidnappings rocked the nation. In the Western Cape province alone, at least 13 cases of child abductions and attempted kidnappings have been reported since August 8.
The victims are mostly female learners who were targeted while walking to or from school, according to the Western Cape Education Department.
In three of the 13 cases, the victims were sexually assaulted, department officials said.
Police said they had no idea at present about who or what group is behind these crimes.
Meanwhile, various video clips have gone viral on social media platforms recently, depicting cases of child kidnappings and abduction, fueling panic among the South African public.
The SAPS has been trying to confirm if those depictions occurred in any part of South Africa, Naidoo said.
Some of these videos might even be re-enactments as they are conveniently taken in a way that neither the location nor any other can be ascertained, he said.
If these cases of abductions and kidnappings are not officially reported to police, “the only reasonable conclusion we can draw from this is that these videos are hoaxes,” said Naidoo.
“We are appealing to social media users to act responsibly and verify information before posting and sharing, as such postings do nothing more than cause unnecessary panic and paranoia among our communities,” Naidoo said.
Social media, when utilised responsibly, is an important communication platform that assists the police in combating crime and arresting criminals, he added.
Naidoo urged families to report cases of abductions and kidnappings, saying police will never know that these incidents really happened if they are not officially reported.
“While the recent social media postings remain unconfirmed, it is a reality that children do go missing. Therefore, parents and guardians are urged to exercise vigilance at all times,” Naidoo said.
According to non-governmental organisation Missing Children South Africa, one child goes missing every five hours in the country, but only one percent of the victims are ever found.
