South Africa: 70 Innocent Children Are At Police Stations — The Reason Is Even More Bizarre
South Africa’s Cape Town just witnessed a strange case of “lost” children. Over 500 children were found separated from their parents on a beach in South Africa.
On Thursday, over 500 of children were reported to have separated from their parents as thousands of revelers congregated for the New Year’s celebrations. Local authorities estimated over 30,000 people must have converged on Monwabisi, Strandfontein, Muizenberg, and Strand beaches. Though there were over 1,000 police officers on duty, hundreds of revelers ensured the celebration became unruly, and as a result, about 500 wards weren’t able stay close to their parents.
South Africa might have become the worst nightmare for these kids, as most of the children who went missing were aged 7 or younger. Some were reportedly as young as 3. Fortunately, owing to quick thinking on the part of South African police officers, over 400 children were quickly reunited with their parents. Officers liberally used the public address system to announce the whereabouts of the children. Apparently, South African children seemed to possess the intelligence of approaching a police officer in case they got separated from their parents.
Surprisingly, this year South Africa had deployed additional measures to ensure children were safe. Children were affixed with “identikits” on their wrists. The band contained information about next of kin and other medically relevant information.
However, what’s appalling is that 70 kids have still to be united with their parents, primarily because no has come to the local South African police station looking for them. An official added that efforts are being made to reunite the children with their families “as soon as possible.”
“Police will have to try to figure out where those parents are. In Strand alone, we handed over 35 children to the police. This is a result of parents who are not paying attention to the whereabouts of their children.”
These 70 kids were found to have been wandering the beach area, looking for their parents or guardians. Shocked by the lack of response from the parents of the missing kids, the South African police have begun issuing requests over the state broadcast media.
“Police are seeking assistance in locating the parents or guardian of a 3-year-old girl found at Muizenberg beach yesterday.”
This particular girl in question didn’t even have clothes and was scooped up by the South African police while she was wandering in her underwear. The police and the internet have been baffled at the sheer reckless attitude of the parents.
[Image Credit | Rogan Ward/Reuters]