Last week, parents of United World College (UWC) students got pretty shook after they received a notice about a man who apparently tried to lure a middle school student into his van while she was waiting for the bus. The sensible teenage student didn’t respond — because everyone knows not to get into vans with strange men — and her parents filed a police report soon after.
By yesterday, the police had already established the man’s identity and called him in for questioning. Parents didn’t need to worry, however, as the investigations revealed that he had “no ill intent.” Channel NewsAsia reported that the 32-year-old Singaporean claimed he simply offered the teen a ride because of the rainy weather. Hmmm.
Another international school, another van
What the cops are looking into now, however, is an eerily similar incident that also involved students from international schools being approached by strangers in vans.
On the afternoon of Jan. 16, five days after the UWC incident, a Tanglin Trust School student was walking to school along Portsdown Road when a white van stopped near her. The two occupants of the van apparently “tried to entice” the senior school student to get in, remaining persistent even after she ignored them.
“Fortunately, the student ignored the invitation and arrived at school safely,” wrote Tanglin Trust School CEO Peter Derby-Crook in his email to parents.
“I write to remind you to talk to your children advising them that if anyone approaches them that they don’t know, they should ignore them and swiftly move away,” he continued, adding that a police report was lodged soon after.
Police have since launched investigations into the Tanglin Trust School incident and are currently speaking to a female driver involved in the case. Like before, they’ve advised members of the public “not to speculate” about the incident.
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