Attempted Kidnapping Caught on CCTV: 10 Tips to keep Children Safe

A Johannesburg man, Dishal Sooku, has been hailed a hero after CCTV footage of him tackling an alleged kidnapper went viral last week. The video below shows Sooku leap into action as he witnesses the suspect jump the railing of the restaurant, reaching out to grab the 4-year-old girl who was seated with two women. Grabbing the suspect by the neck, he manages to wrestle him to the ground as the little girl is moved to safety.

The brazen manner of the suspect and Sooku’s act of bravery created a social media storm that brings to light a very serious issue we are experiencing throughout our communities. It also brings to our attention the number one tip to keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe – constant situational awareness. This doesn’t mean living in fear wherever you go, it does however mean taking active notice of your surroundings. Whenever you enter an environment such as a restaurant, for example, be selective in how you seat yourself. Always place yourself in a position that gives you line of sight, pay attention to the people around you, and take note of possible entry and exit points should you find yourself in an emergency.
The chilling fact is that kidnappings occur daily and most of these abductions occur due to miscommunication between children and parents. A key part of preventing such incidents is creating a healthy awareness of the dangers that lurk in the world around us.
Carte Blanche has shared the following 10 safety tips to prevent the kidnapping of kids:
1. Keep the lines of communication open between you and your children. They should know your cell phone number, home phone number, as well as their own address.
2. Don’t take anything from strangers.  If a stranger offers anything to your kids, they should check with you first. Help your younger children to know that a stranger can be a man, woman, or older child. They can be nice, friendly, and offer sweats or ask you to help them look for a lost pet. A stranger does not mean the person comes across as a “baddie”.
3. Encourage your children to keep friends close. If your child is going to a place they’ve never been to before or aren’t that well familiar with, it’s advisable they take a trusted friend along.
4. Kids aren’t likely to receive job offers, so consider it strange if your child does. Tell them to always turn them down – even if it’s simply a request for assistance with something. The request for help will easily touch the hearts strings of your child. Educate your children to trust themselves. If they feel uncomfortable, they must seek out a trusted adult.
5. Tell them they can trust you. The best relationship between a parent and their child is when they trust you enough to share anything with you that makes them feel uncomfortable. It’s important to know when something or someone is bothering your child.
6. Make them understand you’re not deliberately spying. If your child is still young and vulnerable, it could be a good idea to monitor their time spent online – that’s where the predators usually lurk. Just make it clear it’s not an excuse for you to snoop through their private messages or interactions.
7. Speed and noise are key. If someone is chasing your child or forcing them into a car, the best reaction is to scream and make a dash for it – provided the attacker doesn’t have a dangerous weapon.
8. Establish a plan of action. In the event your child gets lost in a busy public space, they’ll know what to do or where to meet you.
9. Create a safe word between your child and you. Remind your child if you ever ask another adult to pick them up, they can ask for the safe word, and if the adult does not know it, for your child to run away.
10. Tell your kids that you are there to protect them. If they ever feel unsafe, threatened or uncertain about their safety, they must come to you. Always take what they tell you seriously.
Here one minute and gone the next, stories of South African children being kidnapped frequently flood our news feeds and it’s not often that these children see a safe return home. In the case that your child has been kidnapped, it is key to remain calm and act quickly as the first 24 hours are vital. There is no waiting period to report a missing person – take your clearest, most recent image of your child to your nearest police station and open a case immediately.