Limerick Gardai investigate third incident involving young schoolchildren
CHILDREN and parents are being urged to be extra vigilant after another “inappropriate” approach was made to a 10-year-old girl outside a primary school in Dooradoyle last Friday when she was offered a lift home by the female driver of a red van.
St. Paul’s Primary School Principal John Touhy told the Limerick Post that at 4pm on Friday, the school was informed that a woman driving what was described as a “red van with a man in the back seat” approached the young girl who was waiting for her father to collect her after school.
“Thankfully, the girl returned to the school foyer area after she declined to take a lift offered by the woman and this time the matter did not take any nasty turns. Aside from this being very traumatic for the girl and her family, she is safe and well and we are glad to see that she took the right course of action.
“We are encouraging students and their parents to know what is the correct course of action to take in these circumstances”.
Mr Touhy added: “We are continuing our lessons with children where we ‘wise them up’ on our ‘Stay Safe Programme’ as part of the Social, Personal and Health Education. We look at what to do if they are approached by strangers. In this instance, the parents have made a statement, as has the girl, to the gardai and we have briefed staff again to talk to the children in class”.
Garda Chief Superintendent Dave Sheehan said that they are investigating the incident and indeed the previous “inappropriate approaches” made by “persons acting suspiciously”.
Chief Superintendent Sheehan said that they were investigating two similar type incidents in early September and he appealed to assist with the investigation by reporting any suspicious activity in the area last week.
