‘Kidnapping’ of girl was result of misunderstanding

[invis]

The incident resulted in a police report being made against the man, and the misunderstanding was cleared up only yesterday after police investigations.

The New Paper understands the 75-year-old man had gone to pick his grandson from Maple Bear Singapore childcare centre in Havelock Road, but the family maid had already left with the child before he arrived.

Not knowing this, the man entered the childcare centre just before 6pm to ask for his grandson. A teacher misheard the name as that of another child and brought a four-year-old girl to the man.

Confused, he walked out of the childcare centre and entered a lift, thinking the girl was with another adult.

Those in the lift saw the girl crying near the glass door of the childcare centre, and another child's parent asked the man if he was with the girl.

He told her no, and both of them left.

A teacher saw the girl crying and took her back to the centre, and the childcare centres subsequently informed the girl's family, who then made a police report.

The incident was also recounted from the family's point of view in a post on Facebook, which showed a photo of the man taken from security cameras in the childcare centre.

The post initially called the man a "suspected kidnapper" on Tuesday but it was amended yesterday to reflect that it had been a misunderstanding.

A police spokesman confirmed that a report was made, and said they take such reports seriously.

They also urged people not to speculate or spread unsubstantiated information that may generate unnecessary public alarm.