Child abductions in heartland not true: Police

Five people called up for posting groundless claims

By Elizabeth Soh, The Straits Times, 3 Apr 2012

THE police have quashed rumours that have been swirling online about child abductions taking place in the heartland and called up five people for posting unsubstantiated stories in relation with these.

Allegations of these 'kidnappings' have been spreading through Facebook postings and by phone text messages.

A police spokesman said seven police reports were made about such 'abductions', but investigations have found no links among the cases. No criminal intent has been established behind them either.

At a press conference yesterday, the spokesman said: 'The police confirm that there has been no reported case where a child was actually abducted.'

Rumours of kidnapping bids, allegedly executed by a mainland Chinese syndicate, surfaced in the middle of last month when a woman by the name of Allison Goon made a posting on Facebook that a woman had tried to abduct her son in Ang Mo Kio Hub. The case is still under investigation.

In the next two weeks, at least six similar stories circulated about 'abductions' in Tampines, Simei, Pasir Ris, Yishun, Bukit Panjang and Ang Mo Kio. All have been investigated by the police; some have already been exposed as hoaxes.

A Facebook posting about a girl being abducted in Tampines, leading the police to set up a roadblock, for example, was found to be pure hearsay; the story later made its way into Facebook.

Another Tampines 'abduction' of a nine-year-old Griffiths Primary School pupil turned out to be a case of truancy.

When The Straits Times contacted two women who made postings about their child and niece being near-victims of abductions in Yishun and Bukit Panjang, both declined comment.

Social media specialist Michael Netzley said the spreading of such hoaxes can come down with better digital literacy: 'If we each continue to... develop our 'hoax' sensors and exercise a bit of wise judgment and intuition, I strongly believe we're at no significantly greater risk of suffering from a hoax online than we are in the offline world.'

Lawyers said determining the context in which the false information was shared is important in establishing whether the offence of transmitting false messages has been committed.

Criminal lawyer Foo Cheow Ming from KhattarWong law firm said: 'If the information is sent but followed by a message saying 'I heard this rumour, but I don't know whether it's true', then maybe the person can get away with it.

'But if the information is presented as fact and the perpetrator can't prove that it's true, then they should face charges.'

If found guilty of transmitting false information, a person can face up to three years in jail and a fine.

In June 2010, a British mother in Singapore sent an e-mail to her friends, claiming that a woman tried to lure her son away from their helper in Turf City.

The e-mail was reposted on expatriate forums, fanning panic. The police said investigations revealed that it was likely a case of mistaken identity and urged the public to stop circulating misinformation.

In 2002, a full-time national serviceman sent a message to his friends warning of a 'bomb' in Holland Village. He was let off with a stern warning after he told police he had heard it from a relative and did not mean to start a bomb hoax.

Stories circulating online

THE following alleged kidnapping cases have been making their rounds on the Internet. The police have since established that some are hoaxes.

Ang Mo Kio Hub

On March 18, a Ms Allison Goon posted on Facebook that a woman had tried to abduct her son at Ang Mo Kio Hub by taking his hand and leading him away. When confronted, the woman claimed it was a case of mistaken identity. Ms Goon went to the police. The case is being investigated.

Simei Street 5

On March 23, a 59-year-old grandmother called the police on hearing that a woman allegedly tried to lure her 10-year-old grandson into a van outside his school. This has been established as a case of mistaken identity. The alleged abductor was a school-bus assistant who thought the boy was one of her charges.

Northpoint mall, Yishun

On March 27, a mother claimed on her Facebook page that a man had tried to abduct her young son, who was in his stroller outside a baby spa in the mall. No police report was filed, but she is helping police in their investigations.

Bukit Panjang

On March 29, another mother posted on Facebook about the near-abduction of her five-year-old niece from outside a Bukit Panjang community centre. She said the child's mother did not want to talk about the incident. No police report was made.

Tampines (Two hoaxes)

A Facebook post circulated late last week claiming that a girl had been abducted outside her Tampines childcare centre and driven away in a van. The Facebook user said a police roadblock was later set up there. Police investigations have revealed this to be a hoax. No report was filed and no roadblocks were set up.

Another hoax was circulated via SMS about a Primary 3 boy from Griffiths Primary in Tampines Street 22 being 'abducted' on March 29 at around 7am.

Police investigations found that the boy had in fact skipped school and was found four hours later near his home.

Ang Mo Kio bookshop (Hoax)

A forum posting by a netizen last week claimed that a young child in his stroller was abducted while his mother was in a bookshop. The posting alleged that when she found her baby later and snatched him back, his hair had been shaved and his clothes changed by his abductors. No reports were filed on this and the case has been confirmed as a hoax.

Police urge anyone who has information about alleged abductions to contact them directly on 1800-255-0000 or 999 if urgent help is needed.