The mother of an 11-year-old boy who was nearly abducted by an unknown man in Melbourne has cried while recalling the “frightening” incident.
Speaking to reporters today, the mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, was reduced to tears as she spoke of the moment her son walked home, locked all the doors, and then told her what had happened.
Police said the boy was walking home from school along Halley Street in Blackburn when a white van pulled onto the wrong side of the road and rolled down his window about 3.45pm on November 18.
The man told the boy his mum had asked him to give him a lift home.
The boy refused and the van drove away.
“He is pretty upset… He wasn’t crying, he was distressed and frightened,” the mother said.
“He’s never been panicked like that before. It took a while to figure out what happened.”
The 11-year-old only recently began walking home from school, with the incident happening close to home.
“I hate to think of what would have happened had he gone with him,” she said.
“It feels pretty brazen, pretty opportunistic, people like that probably aren’t going to stop so the sooner he can be found the sooner kids will be a bit safer.”
Detective Acting Sergeant Joanne Morrison said there had been no other reported abduction attempts.
Police have contacted schools and families in the area and have been doing regular patrols.
“The family and the child should be commended for his bravery and his plan to get home safely,” she said.
Investigators have released a computer-generated image of a man they believe may assist with their enquiries.
He is perceived to be Caucasian in appearance, aged between 30 to 40 with dirty, matted, blonde hair.
CCTV and images of a van seen in the area prior to the incident have also been released.
Any witnesses, anyone with CCTV, dashcam vision or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or anonymously at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
