Cape Town - Police have established a task team to investigate the “disturbing pattern” of child abductions following yet another girl being snatched in Cape Town at the weekend.
An 8-year-old girl, whose name is being withheld to protect her, was abducted in Goodwood on Saturday after being out with a family friend. The girl has been returned to her family home in Bishop Lavis.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said they were investigating a case of abduction.
“The child was found this afternoon at her family home and taken for medical attention. We appeal to the community to protect children from strangers and educate children about stranger danger,” Rwexana said.
Last week another Cape pupil was abducted, which ended with her being raped while on her way to school. It followed the provincial education department saying they had received reports of two kidnappings in the Zonnebloem area, and one attempted abduction in Rylands.
On Friday the body of 9-year-old Previledge Mabvongwe was found near a dump in Kraaifontein. She was last seen on her way home from school.
According to police, the 8-year-old Bishop Lavis girl and a family friend were at Vasco train station on Saturday when they were approached by a man who said he worked for a major retailer, and that the girl fitted the “profile” for a modelling campaign.
The friend and the girl then walked with the man to N1 City Mall, and on the way, the man gave the friend money to buy cold drinks.
“When she returned he told (the friend) to wait for a taxi which would take her home to fetch another child for the promotion. He walked off with the 8-year-old. The complainant later ran to N1 City to find that (the retailer) was closed,” police said.
Provincial police commissioner spokesperson Novela Potelwa said yesterday all police stations had been directed to intensify their crime awareness efforts focusing on crimes against women and children.
“The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units will internally conduct oversight cluster sessions based on common trends they find in investigations they conduct into child abductions, child rapes and murders. Provincially, a detective task team looking into crimes against children (child rapes, abductions and murders) has been set up,” Potelwa said.
Regular engagements with the Hawks, who investigate child and human trafficking cases, take place in an effort to share and consolidate information, Potelwa said.