‘Vigilante behaviour’ prompts police warning after kidnapping claim shared online
Police are warning the public not to engage in “vigilante behaviour” after an innocent man was accosted by a member of the public following social media reports of a kidnapping attempt in the Wellington region.
They have also reminded residents that “not everything you read online is what it seems” as rumours spread on Facebook claiming sightings of the alleged kidnapper.
The rumours began running rampant on community pages after a woman posted online saying her niece was the victim of an attempted kidnapping outside Pak’nSave Porirua this week.
The woman said a 6ft Indian man with a moustache and a black van had tried to snatch her niece.
“Thankfully, she is safe and in the care of whānau but she also witnessed hearing another girl screaming in the van as she was being attacked,” the woman wrote.
“My niece couldn’t get a visual on the girl, but we now fear for this young girl’s safety.”
She urged other Facebook users to share her post and to contact police if they had any information.
When contacted by the Herald this week, the woman said her 18-year-old niece was “shaken up” and did not wish to speak to media.
Police have been making inquiries into the alleged incident since it was reported, but told the Herald they had not received any more reports in relation to the matter.
Meanwhile, posts about the alleged kidnapper have spread across Wellington community pages, with people claiming sightings of the man in Lower Hutt, as well as further incidents of children being spoken to.
On Wednesday a man posted on Facebook indicating he had caught the kidnapper.
“I got him! Pigs got him now. Look after your children,” he wrote.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to the Herald no one had been arrested.
The building social media frenzy has prompted a warning from police, who said they had not yet been able to establish what happened.
“We know reports like this can cause great alarm in the community, however, police have received a call from an innocent person who was accosted by a member of the public, wrongly accusing him of being involved,” Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Middlemiss said in a statement today.
“We are also aware of social media posts encouraging vigilante behaviour, which is incredibly concerning.
“Police take matters like this very seriously, but anyone attempting to take the law into their own hands could face charges.
“We urge the community to bear in mind that not everything you read online is what it seems.”
Anyone with legitimate information about what occurred is asked to contact police via 105, referencing the file number 240827/3959.
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.