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Family shaken after alleged abduction attempt of two-year-old outside Murcia school
Police investigate reports of two attempted kidnappings outside San Félix school in Zarandona as parents call for greater safety measures
The family of a two-year-old girl say they are living through days of fear and disbelief after what they describe as an attempted kidnapping outside a school in Murcia last week.According to the complaint filed with the Policía Nacional, the child’s great grandmother was collecting her five year old brother from San Félix school in Zarandona around 3.30pm on Thursday November 6 when a couple, reportedly hiding behind a palm tree with an empty pram, tried to grab the little girl by the hand and carry her away.
The woman, who picks up the children each day, is said to have resisted with all her strength, preventing the pair from taking the girl. In her distress, she was unable to take note of the couple’s appearance or other details.
The girl’s grandmother Ana María Marín said: “She was distraught and went home pale and crying. We want more measures in place so this doesn’t happen again. People need to know there are individuals who take children without knowing what they might do to them.”
Police sources have confirmed that two separate complaints have been filed about alleged attempted abductions at the same school, one relating to this case and another to an incident said to have taken place the previous day. Both are now under investigation.
The family’s lawyer, Valentín Fernández, said he has written to the Regional Ministry of Education requesting “immediate and emergency action” to improve safety. Among the measures proposed are a secure perimeter area for collecting children, additional staff presence at the gates, and a review and installation of security cameras around the school.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Fernández warned. “We are asking for coordinated, preventative action to ensure children have a safe environment when leaving school.”
The family have also urged the Ayuntamiento de Murcia and the Education Department to act “with maximum speed and responsibility” to protect pupils at arrival and departure times.
However, the school later sent a message to parents calling for calm, describing reports of abductions as “rumours” and assuring families that all pupils “are safe and under constant supervision.” The statement added that both the Local and National Police had been informed and appropriate security measures had been taken.
The letter sparked frustration among some parents, who felt it downplayed the seriousness of the incident. Posters appeared around the school gates reading: “It’s not a rumour. They tried to abduct a girl at the school gate. We need and demand cameras.”
Meanwhile, the Regional Ministry of Education stressed that the alleged event “occurred outside the school grounds and is not within the educational sphere.” Officials said the girl was with a responsible adult and that, in any case, the matter “falls under public safety.”
The investigation by the Policía Nacional remains ongoing.
Image: truthseeker08/Pixabay
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