Society

Kidnappings in Shenzhen causing scare

By Chen Hong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-14 08:23

SHENZHEN: The local police's failure to release information in a timely manner about the kidnapping of some school children has sparked panic among local residents.

The anxiety has prompted many parents to become more diligent about their children's protection as rumors continue.

Shenzhen Public Security Bureau officials said last Tuesday that police have arrested six suspects who allegedly kidnapped three students within one month, starting Oct 20, and killed two of the children.

Officials said that no gangs were involved in the kidnappings, but that the perpetrators were jobless and they intended to blackmail rich families.

Although the police pledged to allocate more of its force to patrol around the schools, many parents who had been troubled by the rumors that were active for about 15 days before the official release were not relieved. Long queues of cars could be seen at the primary school in Nanshan district Friday, driven by parents waiting to take their children home after school. This school is where an 11-year-old boy surnamed Yi was kidnapped and killed in the Oct 20 case.

The school security guards said that more parents are choosing to take taxis these days rather than driving their luxurious cars.

The police had warned parents that those cars might attract the attention of would-be kidnappers.

In another school in Futian district, parents have formed a voluntary team to assist the students in going to school and coming home.

The Guangzhou Daily reported that one family sold their luxurious house and cars and moved to an ordinary residential area after their daughter was rescued from an attempted kidnapping. The case has not been confirmed by the police.

Meanwhile, primary school students and teens are becoming more cautious when talking about their family's wealth.

The students are being asked to go home immediately after school and not to talk to strangers.

The city's education authorities said they would soon issue detailed rules on school safety management, which would give specific requirements on the purchase of student's life accident insurance, the organization of the school's safety management team and financial support, as well as other arrangements, in coping with emergency.

However, the public continued to question the police about parents' right to know about the kidnappings, arguing that police should release the information as soon as possible to alert the community and avoid the recurrence of the tragedy.

Zhou Baojun, assistant to the spokesman for the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau, said over the weekend that it is a common international practice not to make public the details of the kidnapping cases, which aims to protect the hostage and to help police solve the cases.