Police and a Helston head teacher have sought to reassure worried parents after an online panic over claims a man had been filming young children at a local play area.Oh, I can well imagine...
Concerned mothers and fathers took to the internet following reports of an incident in Coronation Place in Helston, near Nansloe Academy.
A man was questioned and released, without charge and not on bail, but as word spread it led to comments on social networking websites.Shocker...
The school's head, Charles Field, said the comments were incorrect – and at least one threatened violence.
The police spokesman urged the public to "allow the police to do their work" and not to jump to conclusions.Very good advice from the police there. Pity they don't always take it themselves, though.
He added: "Sometimes there's a simple explanation (for people's actions) and no crime has been committed."
I reckon being arrested and questioned in the aftermath of your child's accidental death is a lot more upsetting than threats from anonymous numpties on BookFace...
6 comments:
Note that both the police and head teacher hint at there being a simple explanation yet...despite the matter having been investigated and the man released without charge...no explanation is forthcoming. Not even from the man himself.
When paranoia is deliberately fostered and people inordinately rely on authority to deal with it then it's no surprise it continues to manifest.
It does go some way though to explain why it was clearly beyond even one parent to calmly approach this man and enquire politely what he was doing or even just simply see for themselves.
Tatty, to do what you suggest would require thought on the part of the parents. Sadly nearly all of them don't do that in this day and age, they react emotionally as they have been taught.
The paper's report is poorly written.
The key point is:
a member of the public alleging a man was videoing young children in Helston from a public footpath.
The implication being that while the person was on public property, they were taking photos of children on private property where there is an enforceable right to privacy.
School postcode:
TR13 8JF (see googlemaps).
The story cites Coronation Place, which is one of the better maintained roads on the estate. It is a cul de sac which ends in hedges which are the boundary of the school and children's centre.
If you went down to the end of this cul de sac, stood in the trees and tried to photograph the children on the patch of scrubby grass in their school, you really should not be surprised at someone taking fright.
However, the report reads oddly since by far the easier photos are from the next road along, which isn't full of hedges.
Never tease The Mob with anything resembling 'peedo' in the name.
I know Helston well.If someone farts in the High Street it makes headline news.
Complete over-reaction.
"...no explanation is forthcoming. Not even from the man himself."
Odd, isn't it?
"...since by far the easier photos are from the next road along, which isn't full of hedges."
It might just be lousy reporting. Or...he might not have been taking photos of the children at all?
"Complete over-reaction."
Wait until you read about the Olympic photography row!
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