be careful

hi neha - thanks for putting up this post

although my baby is only 3 weeks old and we won't be taking her out, we will be more alert
 
I think it is important that mums are always alert with their kids and strangers - however I also heard this story from a friend. I googled it and came up with this blogg which suggests its actually just an urban legend. I dont know if it is or not, and it doesnt mean mums should relax about the safety of their kids.

http://blog.milkmonsterlaughs.com/2009/02/is-hong-kong-really-that-safe.html

I've copied part of it below:

Is Hong Kong really that safe?
Update - looks like the Ikea story is an urban legend after all. After talking to a few people who insisted the story sounded fishy and Gweipo's comment below that she had heard this story before, I did a little more digging around and found the same story written about an attempted kidnap in large supermarket chain Tesco, in Bangor,UK where a little girl was found in the washrooms with her head shaved. Apparently this urban myth was so widespread the company had to issue a statement to the press in an article titled 'Supermarket chain quashes Bangor child abduction rumour'. Sorry, didn't mean to scare you parents!! Like Irene said, Hong Kong maybe one of the safest cities in the world after all.

I received the following email today (thanks Carla),

Ikea - Attempted Kidnapping

Just wanted to let you know that a friend of one of Nathan's* playgroup friends was involved in an attempted kidnapping at IKEA Causeway Bay a few weeks ago. Apparently, the boy was 3yrs old and ran ahead of his mother in IKEA. When she couldn't find him, she alerted security who then shut all the exits. They eventually found the boy in the IKEA bathrooms with his head shaved and clothes changed! They didn't find the people who did this to him. Scary times.

*boy's name changed for privacy
 
Wow this is really really scary?

What I'm wondering is, why isn't this incident more publicised? I looked around on the internet to see if there were any news sites reporting it, to see if they caught the culprits. And there was nothing! I would expect mainland China to cover this up, but not Hong Kong? Does anyone know if they caught the culprits?
 
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mel_g20

I posted at the same time you did, and only read your post afterwards. But I have to say, I also wondered if it was genuine. Something like this would have been reported to the police, which would mean there would have to be some documentation as well as media coverage, and there doesn't seem to be anything.

But all the same, these things do happen, so best to take it all in and be very very careful.
 
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Friends told me the beggars without legs or arms could be the children being kidnapped... I was shocked when my friend was telling me the stories (my friend is a policeman). People in mainland China will do anything for money, so be careful when you go to Shenzhen or other citied in China.
 
Considering how much press coverage there is in HK, like in the newspaper today there was a whole article all about a just released from prison child abuser still being let into a building clubhouse, I would be very surprised if this was real and yet no one knows about it except through rumours.
 
It's a good reminder--whether it's 100% factual or not remains to be decided. But, I know for sure it's a bad idea to assume others have the best at heart when they're looking at your children. There are plenty of "sickos" that usually don't appear with horns and fangs to prey upon your children--many of them are elementary school teachers or in a position that gives them access to your kids. So, yes, thank you for the reminder. I think every kid is a potential target.
 
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