Investigation launched after another child approached in Melbourne

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A police investigation is underway after a boy was approached by a man in a white van in Melbourne's east, the fourth incident of its kind around Melbourne in recent weeks

Transcript

00:00Police say that while all of these attempted abductions involved men driving white vans,

00:07it's not believed that they're linked, although investigations are continuing.

00:12And in the latest incident, a boy was approached as he was walking along Landscape Drive, which

00:18is over in Boronia.

00:21That's about 29 kilometres east of Melbourne CBD, and that was on Tuesday morning around

00:278.30.

00:29Now while the van pulled over next to him, he was able to get away and notify police.

00:35And just around two weeks earlier, and only 14 kilometres away, this time in Halley Street

00:40in Blackburn, an 11-year-old boy was approached by a man in a white van.

00:46This time, the man said to the boy that he'd been asked by his mum to give him a lift home.

00:51The boy declined the offer and the van drove off.

00:54And there have also been two attempted abductions involving teenage girls.

01:00Now one of them happened only on Monday.

01:03That was over in Saxton Street in Doncaster, involving a 15-year-old girl, and the man

01:10tried to get her inside the van, but she was able to run to a nearby shopping centre.

01:16And just a week ago, over in Spring Street, Tullamarine, which is in Melbourne's north-western

01:22suburbs, a 14-year-old girl was the target of an attempted abduction.

01:27The man also tried to get her inside the van, but she was able to run to a nearby park and

01:34get help.

01:35And this is obviously very worrying, and it's a timely reminder for parents out there to

01:40just once again alert children to stranger danger.

01:45Luckily, none of these children were hurt, but they no doubt were all very frightened

01:51by this experience.

01:53And police say that investigations are continuing, so they'd like to hear from any witnesses

01:59to these attempted abductions, and they're urging them to contact Crime Stoppers.

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