Some parents are now bringing their children back to elementary school on Gersdorfer Straße in the morning – out of concern and because the children are afraid. Ms. Meier * does the same thing. “I pick up my child in the afternoon, although until recently they walked alone,” she says.
The children are afraid of a man who lives in an institution for the disabled and who often travels around town without being accompanied. The man goes up to the children, tries to hug them, but is also said to have pinched children and stroked their heads.
For Ms. Meier and other parents, this is a clear assault – even if no one seems to want to be angry with the man because of his intellectual disability. It is said that he cannot help his limitations and is on the mental level of a three-year-old. “But we would like the institution in which he lives to think about how the situation can be better controlled,” says the mother. She wonders why the man is not accompanied on his excursions. After all, the children should dare to go to school on their own again. The primary school is aware that there are such fears and worries, as the school secretariat communicates on request. The police have been informed.
“The police have information about the man,” says police spokesman Sebastian Ulbrich. He says the police can confirm the man’s behavior. Consultation had been held with the Reichenbach elementary school. The school has not reported any complaints. However, as an unauthorized person, the man was not authorized to enter the primary school premises. “In the event of violations, the school should file a criminal complaint,” says Sebastian Ulbrich and also: “Otherwise, the person is in the Reichenbach urban area.” The police also advise concerned parents to take their children’s information seriously and to report such incidents themselves do.
1: 1 care of the resident is not provided
The head of the facility for the disabled, Claudia Görner, offers parents her willingness to talk. So far, unsettled mothers and fathers have not yet turned to them. A 1: 1 care and accompaniment of the resident is not provided by the cost bearer or by the conception of the house. “We are an open institution,” she says.
But there is another reason why uncertainty is growing in the small town. A message spread like wildfire via WhatsApp: A dark-clad stranger with a headgear and mask is said to have sat in a bush near a playground on Thomas-Müntzer-Straße at the beginning of July and lured children. “Keep your eyes open, take care of your children,” says the message and also that this information should be spread more widely. One concern has nothing to do with the other, it quickly becomes clear.
The police were informed of the alleged incident on the playground on the evening of July 4th. “According to this, three girls were in the playground when they noticed a male who was hiding behind a hedge. When the man saw the children, he is said to have made luring movements in his direction with his index finger, “says the police spokesman. Then the stranger got up and walked towards the neighboring wasteland and gardens.
Or is it all just a rumor?
However, the parents’ reaction to the police investigation was surprising. While the police were able to question one of the children, “other parents refused to cooperate with the police,” said Sebastian Ulbrich. So a rumor that is fueling worries? It cannot be completely dismissed out of hand. Investigations in the crime scene area would not have led to any further findings.
Parents should react critically and cautiously to assumptions and rumors. “Such circumstances cannot be ruled out, but rumors tend to lead to uncertainty among parents,” said the police spokesman. It is important that parents teach their children not to react to strangers, to accept gifts from them or to go with them. “Children should be made aware of such situations without giving them a feeling of fear,” says Sebastian Ulbrich.
* Name changed
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