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Child abduction thwarted by code word

BeyondTheNow

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Excellent, excellent job by the parents!

Marlene Leung, CTV Toronto
Published Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2013 10:13PM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, Mar. 21, 2013 2:19PM EDT
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/attempted-child-abduction-thwarted-when-girl-asks-stranger-for-code-word-1.1204634


A 10-year-old girl thwarted an abduction attempt after asking a stranger for a code word that he did not know.

Durham police say a man approached the girl outside Applecroft Public School in Ajax, east of Toronto, on Monday around 3:30 p.m.

The man attempted to lure the girl into his vehicle, which was parked in the school parking lot, police said. A female was in the vehicle at the time.

The man told the girl her parents had sent him to pick her up.

Det. Dave Mason told CTV Toronto that the girl and her parents shared a secret code word that would be used if someone approached her telling her they were there to pick her up.

If the person was truly sent by her parents, he or she would know the code word.

“She asked this person what the code word was and obviously they got it wrong,” Mason said. “She told them ‘You got the code word wrong’ and that person left.”

As the two suspects left in the car, the girl even managed to memorize a few of the licence plate numbers and what the suspects and the car looked like. When she returned home she told her parents, who notified police.

Police are now running through a series of possible licence plate numbers and have released descriptions of the suspects and the vehicle.

The vehicle is described by police as a small, blue-grey two-door sedan with a noticeable dent on the rear bumper.

The first suspect is described as a white, adult male with a medium build. He is unshaven and was last seen wearing a grey hat, blue scarf, green jacket and red and black high-top sneakers.

The second suspect is described as a white female with long blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a purple and pink hat and is believed to be in her late teens or early 20s.

Mason said the case serves as a reminder to parents of the importance of talking with their children about personal safety.

“I think it’s important to have some sort of safety plan in place and to have that discussion with your kids,” he said.

Anyone with any information about this case is asked to contact Det. Dave Mason at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 2541, or Crime Stoppers at 1-8000-222-8477 (TIPS).


 
Let's just say,  the Victoria Stafford case hit really close to home, here.  Her aunt is one of my good friends.    We have had, and still have some serious talks with my kids about not going with anyone they don't know,  and the whole "No one touches you in the bathing suit area"  talks.  (since most sexual abuse is done by people the child is familiar with) 

 
Pandora114 said:
Let's just say,  the Victoria Stafford case hit really close to home, here.  Her aunt is one of my good friends...

Please extend that many still share the family's grief and that Victoria's memory hasn't been forgotten.

I am from St. Catharines, ON and to this day the community hasn't recovered from the Bernardo/Homolka crimes.  While the instances involved older individuals (and unfortunately "code words" would not have made a difference in their circumstances), the abduction of a child is devastating and leaves lasting affects on all. 

I hope they catch the SOBs before they have the opportunity to try again...
 
When I am instructing first aid, I always ask my class if a child (age 1 -8) can refuse 'consent' ?

It always amazes me that the majority of the class thinks that because the person is a child,
they can automatically do whatever they think is right.

Once I bring up the fact that most modern children are properly "street smart" and would be
hurt / in pain / scared in an emergency. The said child is most likely refusing consent from anyone
right away and that is their right to do so.
It brings home the need to gain consent / permission to do what is needed home to people.
 
I live in the town this happened in. Went to the catholic elementary school across the street from her public school. Crazy world :|
 
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