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Two schools issue alerts to parents after students approached by strangers

UWCSEA’s campus at Dover Road. (PHOTO: Google Street View screengrab)
UWCSEA’s campus at Dover Road. (PHOTO: Google Street View screengrab)

STORY UPDATED at 7.30pm on 17 January 2018 to reflect findings from the Singapore Police Force’s investigations.

Two international schools in Singapore have sent out warnings to parents after students were approached by strangers and asked to enter a van on two separate occasions this month.

Separate police reports were lodged by one school and one student’s family over the incidents. Yahoo News Singapore understands that the reports were filed on 12 January and 16 January.

According to media reports, a female student from the United World College (UWC) South East Asia campus at Dover Road was approached on the afternoon of 11 January by a man driving a van and who asked her to get in his vehicle.

The student ignored the man, walked away and informed an adult of what happened. The girl and her family later filed a police report.

Similarly, a female student from Tanglin Trust School at Portsdown Road was walking to school on 16 January when a white van stopped near her and two people tried to persuade her to enter the vehicle.

The girl ignored them and quickly continued on her way.

Peter Derby-Crook, chief operating officer of Tanglin Trust School, reportedly advised parents in a memo that students walking in the vicinity of the school should walk together with other students as a precaution.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday (17 January) evening, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it had determined that the male driver in one of the incidents had no ill intent. The parents of the child involved have also been updated on the SPF’s findings, the post added.

Meanwhile, police investigations into the other unrelated incident, involving a female driver, are ongoing.

“The Police treat such reports seriously. Members of the public are advised not to speculate as investigations are ongoing,” said the SPF in its post.

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