Limestone Coast Police are appealing for information after a primary school student was approached by a man in Mount Gambier.
Key points:
- The man is described as being in his 30s with a brown beard and was wearing black clothes
- Police are urging anyone with information to contact them immediately
- Police say kids should walk to school with a friend if possible
Police said the girl, nine, was on Mulga Street Primary School oval on August 6 when a man spoke to her from the footpath.
The man tried to encourage her to accompany him off school grounds, but the girl was “very clever”, according to Senior Sergeant First Class Natasha Elliot.
“[She] didn’t accompany the male anywhere and returned into the school buildings,” she said.
“She’s described him as in his 30s with a brown beard.
“Like most people these days, he was wearing a surgical face mask.
“He was described as having a black hoodie, black tracksuit pants, black shoes with distinctive rips at the toe area, which showed off his grey or silver socks.”
Sergeant Elliot said police have continued to monitor the area.
“We’ve been doing so on a regular basis to see if there’s anyone matching that description that we can find,” she said.
Don’t wait to report
Senior Sergeant Elliot said the police were not notified until a few days after the incident because the girl had not told anyone immediately.
“That’s something we would ask people to encourage their children to do if something like this does happen,” she said.
“It’s obviously really good if we get told about it as soon as possible to the actual event.”
Senior Sergeant Elliot said the girl was “very brave”.
“She’s done all the right things, and my understanding is her family have obviously taught her to do that very well.
She said it could be difficult for parents to know how to talk to their children about these issues.
“There’s a bit of a delicate line between scaring them and putting too much fear in their head,” she said.
“We just encourage them to trust their instincts.
“If they don’t feel comfortable, then to either retreat to somewhere where they know there will be someone safe, like a teacher.
“Yell for help and make a lot of noise to draw attention to themselves.
“Obviously, the most important thing that we would encourage is for them to try and seek refuge somewhere that’s safe and then obviously get on the phone and call us immediately.”
All about education
Senior Sergeant Elliot said police visited the school and spoke to the students.
“They’ve been given some advice about how to walk to and from school safely,” she said.
“A lot of a lot of people these days want to wear their earphones and listen to their music on their way to and from school.
“Obviously, from a safety point of view on the road, it’s important to hear cars and traffic noise, but also if someone was to approach you, at least you will be able to hopefully hear that they’re in the vicinity of yourself.
“If possible, it’s always helpful to walk with a friend or another schoolchild if you take the same route home from school.”
Mulga Street Primary School declined to comment.