ACT Police: Man approached child in Yarralumla
ACT Policing is investigating an incident where a child was followed by a man in a vehicle in Yarralumla on Sunday.
Police report that a child was riding a bike along Bentham Street in Yarralumla around 1:30pm on Sunday, when a man followed him "to the drop off area of a nearby school and then watched the child for some time".
The man drove away after the child sought help from a nearby group of people as he felt threatened.
The report comes after several similar reports across Canberra, where children have been approached by a man who attempted to entice them into a vehicle, both before and after school. A student was approached by a man in Curtin before school on May 23, and there have been several reports on children being approached in the Woden area.
Canberrans may notice an increased police presence around schools, ACT Policing Superintendent South District Stephen Turnbull said.
“We want to stress to parents and guardians the importance of immediately reporting any unusual approaches on 131444 or in the case of emergency 000,” he said.
“It should be noted the vehicle is not always the same and it a good time to remind your child about what they should do if they are approached by a stranger.”
ACT Policing said it was working with the Education Directorate to emphasise the message about safety around strangers.
Anyone who has information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or on the Crime Stoppers ACT website, quoting reference 6273088.