UPDATE:-
A further incident, took place on Friday (27/1/17) when a young boy was approached by the driver of a dark coloured car, close to a school in Bibice, North of Kraków. The incident has been reported to the Police, who are investigating
source: Gazeta Krakowska.
A warning has been issued following a number of incidents in the North West of Kraków. The driver of a black car has been seen approaching children, initially asking the name of the street, then offering the children a lift.
Information has been posted on the official FB page of Liszki community. The first report was posted on Facebook and reported to the Police on Friday 20/1/17, and involved an attempt to pull a girl into a car in Nawojowa Góra. Yesterday (24/1/17), two further similar incidents were reported, one at a school in Węgrzce, and another in Bolechowice.
Witnesses saw a black car acting suspiciously in front of the school. The male driver accosted two boys, asking for the name of the street, and then offering the children a lift home.
The local authorities are appealing for vigilance, and to report any suspicious people and vehicles immediately to the police.
The mother of the girl involved in the incident in Nawojowa Góra, posted about the incident on Facebook (in Polish). She writes that she notified the police, but due to a lack of witnesses, nothing more could be established.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the car may be a Volkswagen Polo – black or dark coloured., one of the children involved picked out an old dark VW Polo as being similar to the car, the male was described as being short with brown hair and a black beard.
The Missing Persons Foundation ITAKA, advises that in case of a missing child, there is no requirement or need to wait 24hrs, quite the contrary, any suspected disappearance should be reported immediately.
ITAKA offer the following advice, which all seem obvious, but are worth repeating:
- Never leave a young child unattended, do not leave your child in a pram in front of the shop.
- Teach your child as young as possible , to know your name, and the names of the parents
- Children up to 10 years of age, should not stay alone in the house
- Children below 7 years of age should never play alone in the garden. Looking out the window every few minutes is not proper supervision!
- When you allow child to walk off in the supermarket, public spaces etc, remember that it is your responsibility to watch the child and keep them safe.
- Teach your child – never talk to strangers, or accept gifts. sweets etc from strangers.
The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) have a good English resource to help concerned parents teach their children about strangers safety.
What to Teach Kids About Strangers (English)
Durham Police (UK) use the kid friendly characters Jet & Ben to deliver the important safety message.
JET & BEN – Say No to Strangers
Source KRK News