Hi all, I just read this on another forum:

" Incident on the school way

Hi all,
I wish to inform you about an incident that happend with a girl from the school im Birch in Neu Oerlikon. A stranger tried to snatch the girl ( Class 2 )when she was walking with another girl to the school at 1.30 pm near Regina KДgi Hof.═Fortunately he did not suceed and the girl could run away. A boy from the same school walking behind ran back to the girl's home and informed the mother.
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The police was then═informed so was the teachers and the school principal. The school has also written a letter to the parents that such an incident indeed happend. The teachers are told to address this issue with the students in appropriate way and parents have been adviced that the children should either be accompanied or be walked with the group of other students but not alone!
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I am not trying to scare anybody..but please be careful when you send your children to the school."


and another mum added that:
"We had the same case in local school in Kusnacht ZH.
A man tried to take 2 girls( 1 class) into the car. He spoke with them first and after tried to push them into the car. Girls started to scream and ran away.
Please speak to your kids and infirm them how to behave when strangers try to get their attention on the street. "

Thought I should forward to all those of you who have kids.

Thanks for the notice. Hope they catch the b*stards

Please could you provide a link and verification (pref. from police) that this is a real incident.

There's lots of weird people out there who get a kick out posting and peddling information like this, which does nothing but create stress and anxiety.

thanks for sharing it with us, to keep it in mind

Of course. This was read on the yahoo forum "family in zurich", you can google it. Once found the website enter the title "incident on the school way" on the top right where it's written "search for other groups". You will then have names and email addresses from the ladies who posted the messages.

I went to primary school in the late 90's and we had a similar incident. (a countrified area in Aargau)

Good point.

About 3-4 years ago, there was a rumour circulating at my daughters' primary school of a "bad man" trying to lure kids into his car in the neighbourhood. Some days later, we received a letter from the school saying no such reports had been made and there was currently no immediate danger to the pupils. However, they did invite a policeman to give the "stranger danger" presentation.

I'm not saying this is the same situation in the case described by the OP, but a lot of these rumours start from the kids themyselves and it spirals out of control.

Not just kids. Many adults on the EF live in an ivory tower, acquiring all their news from the EF itself, and re-quote one another's rumours until it all superheats into one massive horror story. I'm not saying it's all nonsense, but due diligence is required.

Some years ago the EF was instrumental in the creation of a bubble around an imagined story of a pregnant Brazilian girl who claimed to have been attacked by a racist gang. The story started on the EF, with various well meaning participants adding their own bit, balooned to the point that the local press and even diplomatic circles not only believed it but went into overdrive because of it until it finally all collapsed and the girl who started it all had a serious mental breakdown and had to go into care.

To the OP,

Thanks for reminder.
Directly remind my other half to pick-up my daughter from school.

This is the same school my daughter goes to (schulhaus im Birch).
The girl is my daughter friend, but from different class.
And yes, we received a letter from the school principal regarding this.

We are really surprised, there are a lot of people and cars in Regina Kägi Hof area. But seem this "bad man" really risking it.
So guys, please...please...related to this...if you see anything suspicious.., please report to the police.

A lie told often enough becomes the truth

With a letter from the principal, it appears to be a genuine concern. Keep your kids safe.

I don't believe you. Do you have any verification?

I don't recall the story starting on EF itself, it was in all the papers, but there was certainly a pretty lengthy thread about it.

+ 1

It was on EF because it was reported by someone who saw it in the papers! Nothing started here.

please feel free to modify.

The fact that the School Principal has notified parents still does not mean this is Gospel. Parents and children have to be vigilant. Unfortunately , in my village there was a similar scare a couple of years ago which involved all the authorities but which was later found out to be a fabrication. Of course we couldn't know that beforehand , so everybody got awfully and rightfuly alarmed .

It may have started in the local rags, but people on the EF were actively advocating spreading the story to prevent it being swept under the carpet (which the police here were allegedly doing), and egging one another on to send it to as many news outlets as possible. It was only after that that the story appeared internationally and the Brazilian diplomatic services finally got involved. Maybe the chain of cause and effect cannot be proven beyond doubt, but if you write to people, that may have something to do with them doing something.

It finally perspired that the police had doubted the story all along and that they had been trying to keep it under the carpet to protect the girl involved. So those who escalated it only made things worse.

it seems somebody is posting this junk on different threads to run up a post count.

It started with outrage in the Brazilian press over a skin head attack in Bahnhof Stetbach and ended up being a self-harm job:

Alleged skinheads attack near Stettbach Bahnhof

The message below was posted in the families-in-zurich yahoo forum this afternoon.
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Warnings to children in Uster about child abduction
Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:27 am (PST) .
Dear All
Please be aware that there has been an incident(s) in Uster. Children at Oberuster have been warned this afternoon by their teachers that there have been attempted child abductions in Zurich and Uster. The children have been warned to be very very careful walking to and from school and not to walk alone. I don't have any more information than that but would expect a letter to parents on Monday from the school.
Kind Regards