After the Singapore Police claimed that their investigations revealed that the men who approached the middle school girls have “no ill intentions”, parents of students studying in international schools all expressed their disbelief to state media Straits Times.
According to police investigations, one of the men said he is “trying to be helpful by offering a ride” and had “no ill intent”. The same story was repeated for all others and no arrest is made. Two girls from Tanglin Trust School and United World College Dover were separately approached to enter a van on two occasions on Jan 16 and Jan 11 respectively. The two schools and several other international schools then issued an advisory warning students not to walk alone on the street.
Parents of the international school students said that they are “not taking any chances” and many said they were shocked that this would happen in Singapore. A parent reasoned that it is illogical that several grown up men would be so kind to “offer a ride in the van”, targeting students from the affluent international schools.
Schools are also not taking their chances and a third international school, Dulwich College, also confirmed that one student was approached in similar fashion in Dec 2017. According to the headmaster, the student was walking home in the Farrer Road vicinity when the stranger approached.
State media Straits Times have ruled out the incidents as a “scare”, in order to play down the threat and make the government look good.