CAMBRIDGE Primary School has distanced itself from claims circulating on social media that recent kidnapping attempts of children happened in their school.
This follows after two reported cases of attempted kidnapping incidents that took place in Cambridge and Vincent on Monday and Wednesday this week. In response, the school shared a post on social media warning parents to be vigilant.
The post read: “Please be advised there has been reports around East London schools of people trying to abduct children. These people are cunning and a few reports mentioned that they are well dressed. We ask that parents please be vigilant and to report any suspicious behavior to the relevant schools and authorities,”.
Nico Posthumus, Head of IT at Cambridge Primary, dismissed the claims that these incidents had taken place on their premises.
“I would like nothing more to publicly say that there has been no incidents at our school. But it’s tricky because if we post another message, who’s to say that it doesn’t blow out of proportion?” he said.
Posthumus said there was another post stating that a woman’s son was nearly abducted in Cambridge.
“The post states that a lady’s son was nearly abducted in ‘Cambridge’ or at a ‘Cambridge School’. This is what people take out of context. Because the word ‘Cambridge’ is used, people naturally assume Cambridge Primary School. It then snowballs and turns into slander and then hundreds of ever-changing rumors,” he said.
He added that the post was meant to warn parents but it has landed the school in hot water.
“It is extremely frustrating when it was meant to be a good deed to ask parents to be more vigilant and then for some people to aim their guns at us. If only they read the post properly,” Posthumus said.
