VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Ministry of Education has stepped in to clarify an incident at the Plaisance secondary school that sparked widespread alarm on social media yesterday, after messages circulated alleging an attempted kidnapping of a young girl. The Ministry said the matter is now being investigated by the Seychelles Police.
Director-General for Institutional Support Services Division within the Ministry of Education, Bernard Arneph, said the head teacher of La Rosière school had personally contacted him about the incident. Mr Arneph confirmed that the head teacher had reported that a vehicle stopped and asked the girl to get in, and when she refused, two or three men allegedly got out of the vehicle and attempted to force her in, but she managed to escape. She is reported to be safe and her parents have come to the school to comfort her.
Mr Arneph said despite the lack of physical evidence at this stage, the Ministry of Education emphasised its commitment to the safety of students. ‘We take these allegations very seriously and we want to reassure parents that their children are safe while on the school premises. However, parents also have a responsibility to ensure their children’s safety after school hours, and we urge them to be vigilant,’ he said. School administrators are reviewing security footage from the school’s cameras, and a message circulating online from the head teacher has caused further confusion.
