School warns parents as incidents raise fears of abduction

PARENTS in north Dublin were yesterday warned to be on their guard as gardaí investigated suspicious approaches to schoolgirls by a foreign national.

After garda confirmed the man has been offering children lifts in his car, school principal at St Patrick’s Senior School, Michelle Keane sent a letter to parents warning them to advise their children appropriately.

“On Wednesday morning, I got a phone call from a concerned parent who informed me that other parents in the area were very concerned about the consequences of an event that had happened at the weekend,” Ms Keane said.

The most recent of three incidents occurred at a housing estate in the town.

Ms Keane said she verified the story with local gardaí before contacting senior staff.

“I felt it was only prudent for me and out of a duty of care for the children I have responsibility for every day, to alert their parents.”

“My information was somebody tried to coax a child into a red car, (but) fortunately was unsuccessful,” she told RTÉ.

It is believed two of the incidents involved girls aged 16, and the third aged 15.

They happened on September 30, October 13 and November 11.

As there were similar incidents, Ms Keane said she moved quickly to inform parents.

“I was very concerned that a lot of children here, as it is a senior school, would actually walk home themselves.”

The children themselves were not directly informed of concerns, explained the principal, adding: “I did not want to cause any level of hysteria.”

Teachers in the school have given children advice about their personal safety, including getting themselves “out of danger and saying ‘no’”.

“I would imagine, as a parent myself, that naturally, parents would be more vigilant.”

Gardaí yesterday confirmed they are running separate investigations into the approaches to the three teenagers.

“A man spoke to each individual from his car. They felt uncomfortable and were suspicious and reported it to gardaí. There’s no evidence of any criminal act though,” said a garda spokesperson.

Gardaí in Skerries want to speak to a man who was seen driving a small red car. He is described as black, with shaved hair and a yellow or gold tooth.

“It’s not clear whether there was a cultural difference. We just want to know what his motive was,” added the garda representative.

Two of the approaches to teenagers were made in daylight, while a third was at night. All were made on streets and public areas.

Visiting north Dublin yesterday, Justice Minister Michael McDowell praised the actions of school principal Ms Keane, saying she behaved responsibly issuing the letter to parents.