‘Stranger’ fears hold back help

ERIN PEARSON
The death of a six-year-old boy hit by a train last week suggests the “stranger danger” message has gone too far, according to the city’s new top cop.
Inspector Chris Gawne said the autistic six-year-old might have survived if witnesses who saw him heading for the Norlane tracks had felt confident to apprehend him.
“No doubt the people who saw the little boy prior to his death will be questioning themselves forever. Although there is nothing they can do now it should be a lesson learnt that people need to report something unusual or step in and help a child where possible,” Insp Gawne said.
“A person’s natural instinct should take over and people should have a common sense attitude toward these types of situation. I fear the stranger-danger message has tipped the scale the other way.
“Help never came for the little boy.”
Multiple witnesses reported to police after the accident that they had seen the Corio boy wandering alone near the tracks on March 30.
Insp Gawne urged quick action from witnesses of apparent danger or crime.
“No matter how small it may seem, if it raises a concern in you contact 000 if you see something immediately or contact the station or Crimestoppers,” he said.
“Something minor could nip something major in the bud.”
A Safety House Victoria spokesperson said the stranger danger message was often “scary” for young children, so many schools were also teaching pupils about the organisation’s safe houses.
“The program is taught to kids to recognise danger and when things aren’t right.”
The spokeswoman said the program, active for 31 years, had suffered a decline in volunteers, with many people “too busy” to help their communities through Safety House Victoria.
The organisation has about 87 committees covering more than 120 schools, with around 6000 registered Safety Houses in Victoria.
Safety Houses operate in East Geelong and Torquay.