‘Thank God that nothing happened to that child’: principal
By Agnieszka Krawczynski
The B.C. Catholic
BURNABY
A Burnaby school is reminding its students how to stay safe after an attempted abduction April 8.
After school on Friday, a man approached an 8-year-old girl at St. Helen’s School, offered her candy, and invited her into his van. She fled and told her mother, who called police.
“If something like this happens to anybody, it affects the whole community,” said principal Waldemar Sambor. “Thank God that nothing happened to that child.”
He sent an email to all parents that day, warning them about the incident and asking them to keep an eye out for a man in his 70s with a long grey-and-white beard and ripped clothing.
The next week, two assemblies were held to teach students what to do when approached by strangers. Sambor said the school is also reviewing its safety and supervision policies and is considering upgrading its security cameras.
“Things are changing, society is changing, and we have to constantly keep upgrading our safety procedures and equipment and education,” he said.
“The good news is it gives us an opportunity to review our safety tips and raise the bar.”
The RCMP is investigating the incident.
