I heard this mom speaking to John Maytham today on Cape Talk. It was one of those conversations that makes your blood run cold.
Here is the post Margo13 put on Hellopeter:
I had the most horrific experience in Pick N Pay Capricorn Park Muizenberg yesterday, I was in the vegetable isle I turned around to pick up a lettuce and when I turned back my 4 year old daughter was gone alone with trolley .
I froze and became hysterical I then saw the 2 guys with my trolley , they told her to keep quiet and sped off with her into another isle .I called security who let the guy go saying they were joking I called manager of Pick n Pay Yusuf who was very abrupt and told me they had mistaken my trolley with my daughter in for theirs
I do not except this I am emotionally wrecked and my daughter scared I went to Muizenberg Police Station and tried to lay a charge only to be told that they did not get away with my daughter so no case
In my view there was intention.
So she was in the supermarket, her young daughter was in the trolley, in the front fold down section – she took 5 steps from the trolley to pick up a piece of merchandise, turned around and the trolley with her child was gone.
GONE.
Two men had taken the trolley and had made their way to an aisle two aisles away, where they were trying to get her daughter out of the trolley.
The woman found them, questioned them, did not believe they had taken the wrong trolley – and called security. She was trying to apprehend two guys, and at the same time calm her child down who was clearly upset.
The store felt they could not hold the men, as the child had not been abducted, and thus there was no crime. And then let them leave. The store.
Clearly there was a crime in progress, and fortunately due to the quick acting mom she managed to find the men, her child and prevent them taking her child out of the store.
Can you imagine how this day could have turned out?
Margo13 had said that after she got her daughter back, her daughter had told her that the men had told her to be quiet, and that this was their secret.
Can you imagine how traumatising this must be to that mom? To any mom.
I regularly take my kids with me, in the same trolley, in the same position – the nature of grocery shopping is you take a few steps away to grab something, then step back – one assumes your bag will be stolen, not your trolley with your child.
I would like to find how Pick ‘n Pay is going to handle this.
Surely the men should have been “asked” to accompany security to the manager’s office so they could take some information, and contact the police who in turn could speak to all parties and establish the details before letting them go.
Surely.
Pick ‘n Pay can detain someone who they suspect of stealing until the police arrive. One would think they can detain a suspect or two who are suspected of attempting to abduct a four year old child.
Surely? Surely!
If you have heard anything more about this incident and know what is happening, please share.
The lesson : Your child is not safe anywhere. That should feed nicely into all our paranoia.
reluctantmom.wordpress.com 
clint
/ March 9, 2016The store felt they could not hold the men, as the child had not been abducted, and thus there was no crime. And then let them leave. The store.is not responsible or caring for what happens in their store.Well boycott them so they can close their doors.
clint
/ March 9, 2016PnP let the criminals get away on there premises so that they can go abduct someone elses baby
clint
/ March 9, 2016So PnP coulldnt careless.All about business as usual.I am a father of 4 kids and go mad at hearing things like this.The mom should should rally everybody in her community and boycott PnP and any store that is not interested in the patrons or there problems.Boycott that PnP for a solid week and I can guarantee the mom who almost lost her child and PnP not caring attitude of letting criminals get away because it didnt affect their business that PnP will put proper security in place that can protect the patrons against what happens inside their store.I dont care a damm about these big stores that just take our money and to hell with us.We should all take a stand when shit likee this happens.We are all suppose to protect all children then what bladdy right did PnP have to let the criminals get away
Paul Derbyshire
/ December 25, 2015Is this an urban legends page?
reluctantmom
/ December 28, 2015It isn’t — but it is personal blog, so if I wanted to turn it into one, I guess the decision rests with me.
However, at the moment, no it isn’t.
Paul Derbyshire
/ December 25, 2015The story about a child being abducted, taken to a mall toilet, where its hair is dyed, and clothes changed so it can be smuggled out of the mall is an urban legend. It is NOT a true story at all so why is it posted here?
reluctantmom
/ December 28, 2015Hi Paul
I am not sure if you actually read the post, or sort of glanced over it.
There was no reference to the incident you mention: “The story about a child being abducted, taken to a mall toilet, where its hair is dyed, and clothes changed so it can be smuggled out of the mall is an urban legend. It is NOT a true story at all so why is it posted here?”
It actually has nothing to do with that. This was an incident that occurred in January 2013 – the mom spoke to CapeTalk about it, there was quite a bit of fervor around the way the store in question had handled the incident. The mom had spoken to John M on Cape Talk, and I had also spoken to her about the incident.
Because similar “urban legends” exist, does not mean that a child being “taken without the mother’s knowledge and moved two aisles away” by two strange men, does not mean that this horrific incident did not occur.
I trust that answers your question.
Talon
/ February 10, 2014I don’t know if I buy this story. It sounds like this woman has an issue with the Pick n Pay and this is a great way to get back at them. A few years ago, we heard stories about HIV needles in the Mc D’s ball pits and blood mixed in with the Wimpy’s tomato sauce … Too many people are posting things on the web that seem to be a figment of the imagination and it discredits other people and their experiences … I am not saying this woman is a liar, but I’d need more proof before excepting this as the truth.
Tacha
/ February 12, 2014If you read my comments on her post you will see what I posted on Pick ‘n Pay’s wall and their reply. I also did not take it as true until they replied, and they are quilty.
Candi
/ February 4, 2014This is shocking! The police should have opened a case of attempted kidnapping!!!!
GrewUpInMuizenberg
/ February 4, 2014They say that the “kids” were “playing”… So if its all fun and games, lets just say that I was at that Pick n’ Pay that day and saw what happened… And then I kicked the “kids” teeth in but started laughing while I was beating those “Kids” (like they should have been) would I get away with it cause I was laughing and said “Ag I was just playing.” Just something to think about
Karen
/ February 2, 2014I am absolutely shocked by the lack of response this mother received from Pick ‘n Pay in this incident. I am sickened that children are being raped and murdered in our country on a constant basis and NOTHING is being done to curb this!! Pick ‘n Pay, you just missed an opportunity to STOP these particular two sickos from ever trying this again on someone else. More than that, by failing to act swiftly and appropriately, you’ve sent out a loud and clear message to opportunistic criminals (as well as your customers) that this ill-intentioned behaviour can go unpunished in your stores. To the traumatised Mom, well done for being quick off the mark and finding your child in time! As a society, we ALL need to be extra vigilant and each do our part in keeping our children safe from predators. To all the mothers in South Africa, It’s time to make a stand and let our voices be heard LOUD AND CLEAR!!!!
Roberta
/ February 1, 2014I think there is something to be done, how dare they PnP let these men leave the store,there should be camera footage,proof of their intentions.I’m so angry and upset and many times I do my shopping with my girls alone,any mom would know how that goes in a busy shop with two kids want different things,now we have to watch everyone else too. What is this world coming too our laws need to be changed clearly. Goverment will change it ,if happens to them the rest of us civilians must live in fear.
I truly feel for this mom I don’t ever want or be in that position,how can anyone, human being do that to another to take their life away from them,not even animals do that stealing other animals litter how crazy. These low life men who attempted to kidnap this child should get the day and to use an excuse they took the wrong trolley,there was a child in the trolley how could you miss that,so they had a child that looks like your dressed like yours,so that means someone else have their child in pnp.
The way pnp handle the situation I will not leave it at that ,this mother could have been without her daughter today.
Angry and very upset reader
Anthea
/ January 31, 2014Leon obviously you do not know about human trafficking in South Africa. I don’t think she is looking for sympathy. Rather warning other moms about a terrifying ordeal. South Africa is the 3rd largest country for human trafficking. This could have happened to anyone. We need to warn other parents and Pick n pay needs to look at cameras and put their pictures up all over the store. There is an amazing group called red light, that goes into schools and warns parents and children about human trafficking. There are countless incidents of new ways men and women go about stealing children for this horrific practice. Margo13 you should contact them and inform them of what happened. This is the 2nd report I have heard of this. Well done for acting so swiftly.
tazz
/ January 31, 2014Thank you Margo13 for sharing. These reminders makes me as a mother even more vigilent when out in public with my young one’s. Ive heard some very horrific stories about young kids being abducted. Thank you God for protecting this young girl and her mother from what could have been a terrible crime. I hope you and your daughter have recovered from this ordeal. To all those people leaving nasty comments, ignore them… Thanks once again
Cathy Elrick
/ February 2, 2014I shop at Pick n Pay Capricorn, and clearly Yusuf has no peoples skills. I don’t know why he is in such a position, I personally have had a run in with him and also a few more customers that I know of. He obviously lacks serious training and NEVER apologises. He alone gives Pick n Pay Capricorn a bad reputation.
Freetobe
/ January 31, 2014Taking a child that is not yours and without permission is called abduction!! Leon Janse Van Rensburg you are soooo out of line!
petermaree
/ January 31, 2014ask for the security footage…it will soon become clear if they were stalking you or not. if they dont want to give it to you. Call pnp head office and speak to jonathan ackerman, and if he does nothing then go to 567 Talk fm….and share this.
Margo
/ January 31, 2014wow all mixed comments , .. Leon Janse Van Rensburg being negligent is walking away and leaving child unattended that was not the case please get your facts straight my daughter was with me at my side i turned to pick up a lettuce, what money? clearly you have never been in a situation like this and whether they were youngsters or not this is my child and nobody should take her out of my sight without permission for even a second .
So my friend think about it .
I am glad that this incident has created awareness . Yes this could have happened anywhere but the proper protocol was not followed .
Leon Janse van Rensburg
/ January 31, 2014Margo you did walk away and also you are not denying that it was not youngsters!
Do everyone a favour and just admit your negligence and let this whole story go. You are looking for pitty in all the wrong places. Be carefull what you wish for, you want SAPS to do something and PnP to react. Whatch out when they do react you might be sorry. You are forgetting that once a child is involved child services wants in om the action and that might bite you in the arse!!!
What did you try and achieve by going to world press?? You clearly want something out of this. Instead you could of handled this in a better manner.
Get om with your life! Ever thought of the trauma this will put your daughter through if an investigation start and things go further?? Don’t think you did!!!
Philip
/ January 31, 2014Hi Leon,
I assume you are in some way involved with this PnP or have family or a friend that is. This blog has gone from a woman’s story and view of what transpired, feeling that she want’s to share it somewhere so people can understand what she emotionally went through with how she saw things. As they say, there are always three versions of the truth, party 1’s version, party 2’s version and then the actual truth.
I personally think some of the comments and attacks on this blog has become distasteful and things have gone further and wider and went in a direction that Margo never intended.
I’m going to throw in my last 2 cents on this story and then leave as I do not want to get involved in an online war…
Nowhere has Margo ever mentioned anything on money in her story that was posted on Hellopeter, nor did she ever say anything derogatory about PnP itself. She did say she had a horrific experience inside a PnP and at a time where she felt stressed and scared and looking for help, did not receive any and were treated abrupt and were being told she was lying basically. This with relation to two boys that was (if the story is true) playing a very nasty prank for which my parents would have pulled the skin off my bum if it was me.
Threatening her with child services is going to make the emotional experience that she perceived and had even worse and is not right. I don’t think it is nice bringing her daughter into something that clearly should be between you and her, or the PnP and her.
Child services can do nothing, and will do nothing, if there is not clear evidence of child abuse and neglect, which I highly doubt they are going to find. I’m not saying she did, but from personal experience I can tell you that I’ve seen lot’s of mothers overreact where things come to their kids and their kids are in some way threatened or treated unfairly. The story is now out online… without the CCTV video being posted, no-one can really say what happened. So I suggest this whole thing being taken off-line, and if the two of you feel there is something to be resolved, setup a meeting in a public place and neutral ground and discuss it like adults, please.
I don’t think either of you are doing yourselves any favours by fighting like this online and throwing stones.
Good luck to you both for the future…. May you sort this out in a peaceful manner, and have a great 2014 forward.
stringhandler
/ January 31, 2014Wow Leon. Your stupid is showing. She is not publishing this because she wants some compensation, she is publishing this so that other people can prevent their kids from being taken.
My niece was almost taken in the exact same way and I can tell you that the kidnappers go to these shops with the intention of finding a kid to take. Saying she was negligent is like saying that people who get hijacked are negligent.
Personally I think PnP should have tried to keep the kidnappers there, if nothing else, to be questioned about other kids that have been taken. The guys that tried to take my niece also suddenly were joking when confronted. How many children could PnP save just by holding the suspects?
Joe
/ January 31, 2014If you believe this, you are an idiot. As someone who has experience working in the police in SA and abroad, children are not simply taken by strangers. When it does happen, unfortunately, there is always a link back to the family. In the very extreme cases, like in Madeleine McCann’s, it appears that she may have been taken by mistake to cover a trail.
Also, why is this Pick n Pay’s fault? The security guard may detain in the event where they have witnessed a criminal offence taking place themselves, not on the hearsay of the mother. Only a police officer can arrest someone if they only believe a crime has happened. This is the major difference between them and the public.
I am afraid to say that this someone seeking attention.
Cathy Elrick
/ February 2, 2014Surely Pick n Pay has footage, and I agree had Yusuf handled this matter in the manner it’s supposed to, the SAPS should have been called. We as normal human beings do turn toward the item that we need, we don’t have eyes behind our heads, and those idiots had absolutely NO RIGHT to take the trolley with the child and to tell her to keep quiet. It was obvious that they wanted to abduct the child. I don’t believe this is attention seeking, God forbids that it happens to you one day.
Vasco
/ January 31, 2014They will surely detain the men if they steal a jar of jam or a bottle of boose. Obviously the child is not that valuable.
Janine van de Venter
/ January 31, 2014This is not the first time this has happened, these guys are so quick, so don’t go blaming the mother…These guys are professionals, they are there for one thing only and that’s to steel your child.. They way Muizenberg Police handled it, not surprised at…but PnP Pay “Capricorn” very disappointing, they should have detained these men, but once again their slap gat attitude at that store becomes them. I can say this because I have had my fair share of incidents in that specific store…
molly
/ January 31, 2014I dont believe this! PnP pathetic ,, I’m so glad your daughter is safe and your quick reaction.
I have a 6 year old girl, whenever she walks into a shop with me she likes drifting to get what she wants,all I do is scream her name!
Keep a eye out there moms and dad’s SA is bad!!
Leon
/ January 31, 2014Why is it that when there is a crime – no one mention the perp by name – is he White, Black , Grey, Green – was the chlid stolen Black, White, Grey………This is the Rainbow(plenty colour there) Nation….so why is crimanals colourless?.
Philip
/ January 31, 2014Hi other Leon… ;)… in our experience it doesn’t really matter anymore what the skin colour is etc. We’ve caught white men and young white boys stealing cars and driving getaway vehicles for hijackers. The same with Indian men and young Indian boys. Criminals can be found in all shapes, colours, sizes and languages, as well as gender….
Have a great weekend… I’m signing off this page as it has become a bit distasteful.
Philip
/ January 31, 2014TO EVERYONE HERE: Was the mother at fault? I don’t think so. I have a 2-year old and don’t let go of his hand for a second, but when they are in a trolley, unfortunately all parents (even the ones here saying they don’t take their eyes of their kids) have taken their eyes of the children for 3 or 4 seconds. It just happens in busy shopping centres. Unfortunately, WE HAVE A BUNCH OF SPINELESS WIMPS in this country. Bystanders that probably saw them taking the child and doing nothing about it. Are PNP to blame? No, this can happen in any shop anywhere. How should they have reacted? Closing the shop doors and not letting anyone out until the kid is found. In this case where the mom already found the kid, keep the suspects there and keep them apart so they cannot discuss what they going to tell the cops and get their stories straight. It is not PNP responsibility to judge whether these characters are guilty. Offer the CCTV footage to SAPS. SAPS can interrogate witnesses, look at the CCTV footage and interrogate the suspects separately. Attempted kidnapping and intent is more than enough to have them arrested!! Was SAPS in the wrong? Yes, indeed. There is too many corrupt police officials currently in the force. I am a CPF member and reaction member. We work very closely with SAPS and even among police members there are complaints about corruption and criminals being being arrested when they should be. I was involved in an incident a couple of years ago where a child was taken. Everybody was just standing around. I gave chase and we managed to pull the suspects off the road, whom got into a minibus taxi with the child. A guy in a bakkie helped me force the taxi of the road. When we got the boy out of the taxi and to safety and the suspects were apprehended, his clothes were changed (they put him in girls clothes) and he looked completely different. Luckily the child was unharmed and the mother got her son back. This happened in Secunda. Not sure if the reference above is of the same incident. It is because people in this country have an attitude of everyone for themselves and screw the rest that the crime situation is what it is. People should start caring, helping and do the right thing. We are about 15-20 members that patrol regularly, do standby, respond to house robberies, vehicle thefts and hijackings in our area (which contains more than 17,000 residents). We put our lives at risk to make the community a safer place for all. What are some of the responses we get?? Why weren’t you here earlier so you could catch these guys?? What use are you?? Let me tell you, we’ve made a hell of a lot of successful arrests and prevented many crimes. Unfortunately we don’t get paid for what we do, use our own vehicles and equipment and offer up our free time with our families to provide a community service. In this area of more than 17,000 residents, if we get a thousand people assisting and patrolling regularly, crime will pretty soon be non-existent in our area. Stop complaining and get off your buts!!! Cudo’s for the Mom to have the guts to post her story here. It takes a lot of guts in a society where people judge without being there and knowing the circumstances.
Penny
/ January 31, 2014Philip, your comment about getting off butts and doing something is manna from heaven, like you I and a small group of NW members patrol in my neighbourhood as our own cost, sometimes in the ungodly cold at 2am or baking heat of summer with very little thanks or appreciation. Truth be told I get a kick and a rush when a ‘plan comes together” and take a genuine scumbag off our streets – that’s often all the thanks I need. Stay safe and doing what you and many others of us do
zombeemom
/ January 31, 2014How traumatic for both mom and daughter. I also put both my daughters in the trolley when shopping. To think that these guys were so brazen to attempt to kidnap a child in front of the mother, in the middle of a shop – it frightens me. I don’t want to raise children who are terrified of anyone they don’t know, but I think we’re going to have start teaching them about Stranger Danger. Today. Sigh.
lana
/ January 31, 2014im sorry ppl u have to watch ur kids stop blaming ppl for ur mistakes pnp could of handled it in a better manner but they are not there to look after ur kids really sorry about ur bad experience but plz b vigilant u as an adult no about the evils out there so watch out
Wendy
/ January 31, 2014My response is directed directly at Pick and Pay. …You are neither the Judge nor the Jury in your stores!!
This could have happened any where but (unfortunately for Pick and Pay, it happened in their store.) Pick and Pay you pay for security to protect your merchandise, staff as well as the shoppers, believe it or not you can’t seller your merchandise if people are not safe in your store. You do not employ security to play judge and jury this is for the courts. Until every incident is treated with the same severity i.e. a total zero tolerance policy is in place, you will never stop these incidents from occurring in your stores. People need to know the consequences of stepping over the line, while on your premisses, There should be a warning on your premisses stating a Zero tolerance policy while people are on the premisses. We all know the consequences for smoking in an airline toilet DON’T WE.
Exactly it doesn’t take much. Pick and Pay turn the situation around you never know where you may end up. I dare you to give it a try.
Leon Janse van Rensburg
/ January 31, 2014It’s funny how the story get a tail the longer it goes on. The woman that posted this goes on as if she was there to witness it.
Margo13 is clearly in this for money and nothing else.
From what I have heard from a reliable source is that Margo13 left het trolley in the isle walked al the way down the isle and left her child unattended while doing her shopping. The 2 “guys” were actually 2 youngsters who took hold of the trolley never left the isle with the trolley or te child.
What really should happen is child services should be contacted and Margo13 should be investigated for negligence in leaving her child unattended.
Your child is your main priority and should never leave your sight and Margo13 clearly thinks otherwise.
Using your child to gain money and attention is below scum!!
Philip
/ January 31, 2014Leon, what reliable source?? The story you posted from your source differs completely from what was said on hellopeter: “I had the most horrific experience in Pick N Pay Capricorn Park Muizenberg yesterday, I was in the vegetable isle I turned around to pick up a lettuce and when I turned back my 4 year old daughter was gone alone with trolley .
I froze and became hysterical I then saw the 2 guys with my trolley , they told her to keep quiet and sped off with her into another isle .
I called security who let the guy go saying they were joking I called manager of Pick n Pay Yusuf who was very abrupt and told me they had mistaken my trolley with my daughter in for theirs
I do not except this I am emotionally wrecked and my daughter scared I went to Muizenberg Police Station and tried to lay a charge only to be told that they did not get away with my daughter so no case
In my view there was intention.”
Where has she asked for money, and where has she directly blamed PnP for the incident? Her complaint was that the men involved were let go without SAPS being contacted. It is her human and constitutional right to lay a charge if she feels a criminal offence was committed. If she lays a false charge, she has to deal with the civil suit from the individuals and the charges from SAPS afterwards. There is something called a “Civillian Arrest”. PnP could have detained the individuals there and let SAPS have made the decision.
You make comment about the story getting tails… you heard from a reliable source, not mentioning the source, whom could have heard it from someone else, so there can also be 5x different versions and tails running around.
If she did leave her trolley and walked all the way up the isle it is her problem. Do you leave your children unattended and playing in your yard? If so and someone takes them from your yard, were you a bad parent for not keeping an eye on them 24/7 and taking your eyes of them for 20 seconds? At your home or in public, NO ONE has the right to take your child. I’m not saying people should be reckless and leave their children running around. When I’m in public, my son holds my hand or is in my arms. Nowhere else.
In her version they told her daughter to keep quiet, it is their secret… why do that for a prank. It is sick and if it was a prank, those two young men deserve a hiding. She also stated they left the isle with her daughter, which differs from your version.
If your reliable source is from PnP, why not get them to post the video here so we all can see what is the truth????
Raizin36
/ January 31, 2014Leon Janse van Rensburg – please if you have nothing sensible to say please keep quiet.
Leon Janse van Rensburg
/ January 31, 2014Let me guess raizin 36, you are related or know Margo 13?!
This is a blog and anyone can post anything. If you are open to everyone’s comments keep off the blog!
Leon is DUMB
/ January 31, 2014https://www.facebook.com/leon43?fref=browse_search
Lesley
/ February 1, 2014Something about this story just does not sit right with me. It sounds fishy…. I apologise if the facts of the story are actually genuine as told, but I feel there is far more to this than meets the eye.
casmeda
/ January 31, 2014I am totally shocked and disgusted with the way you we treated in such a traumatic time from Pick n Pay staff. I have a young son who is in the stage where everyone seems to be a friendly and i know how hard it is to keep one eye peeled on your young one and the other on your shopping. I pray that you and your family are on the way to recovery from such a horrendous experience and it only goes to show that our hard earned money are good enough to be spent in stores but when help and asisstance is needed suddenly there is no one around to help and instead you are treated like trash.i hope Pick n Pay takes further action as this could have easily been me, my friends or family.
An observant friend
/ January 30, 2014Hi there
Firstly I’m sorry that this has happened to you, I can only imagine the feelings of dread you must be going through, but it does bring me joy to hear that you managed to stop them and ultimately get your daughter back.
Before I spout on about self defense, I would like to mention this.
This kind of thing is not directly the fault of Pick n Pay, or by extension its staff members. Nor is it directly Moms fault. We are all to blame, why ? Well because when we go shopping be it malls supermarkets whatever, we don’t pay attention to what’s going on around us we plod along like insecure selfish zombies avoiding eye contact while dealing with all the tiny irritations and things coming at us, whilst ignoring the people around us. A parent or person cannot be aware of their surroundings all the time, by blaming the mom you are saying that its ok to walk around being a paranoid wreck living in fear, that its her fault for turning her back.
Was she the only person in the vegetable section of the Pick n Pay? No she wasn’t, surely someone noticed that she was pushing a trolley with her little girl and that now it was being moved by two men.
The failure here is the inaction of the observer to confront these men or to make some form of gesture towards the event. How many of you have helped an older person reach something on the top shelf of a supermarket shelf ? Im betting very few of you. Not because you are mean, but because you didn’t notice they were struggling or were too shy to help. Now I’m not questioning the morality of the men and women who have left comments, because I know you are by your very nature, good people. The point I’m making here is that as people and as citizens of a country that has a high crime rate, we should be looking out for each other a bit.
I have lost count of how many times I have had to call to a mom or dad to let them know that their kid has sped off somewhere, more often than not they didn’t notice. And though a bit embarrassed they were thankful.I have often been surprised by the kindness of strangers who have helped me.
In closing
Many of you may have attended a self defense seminar or class in your lifetime, and aside from all of the arm locks eye gouges and other self defense maneuvers they teach. The first thing they usually tell you to do is to mind your surroundings, and apply common sense. So before we go blaming Pick n Pay and the mom and corruption in SA lets look at ourselves and ask. Would we have seen this happening to a fellow human being, and what would we have done?
Thank you for taking the time to read this, I know some may not agree whilst others may take it upon yourselves to keep an eye open in future.
Be safe
Leon
/ January 31, 2014Cool – thats 100%
Bertie Vollgraacf
/ January 30, 2014Expose Pick and Pay for letting a woman and child down.
I am disgusted the way this country is going . Raping children, stealing children, murdering old people, stealing and breaking into houses, women gets raped, people get mugged,
Leaders of the country telling lies and steal and loot the country.
What the hell is going on and where is this leading to. ?????
We need to rise up and demand sanity here
Are we really now in Darkest Africa final hour.
Parranoid?? No
Just F…. K disgusted. ( pse pardoned my language )
kim
/ January 30, 2014The very same thing happened in Diskem, Bayside over Christmas. the exact same story – oh we weer just playing a joke on you. Diskem was not helpful to the mom in question and refused any access to video tapes etc. awful awful!!
Laura
/ January 30, 2014Thanks for sharing Celeste. It is important to become aware of what scary people exist out there and that us as parents need to prepare for such potentially awful scenarios. I will teach my 4 year old tomorrow to scream like mad if anyone touches our trolley in tuture in any supermarket that is not me. In fact I think I will reward him for doing this and teach him that it is good. I would rather be alerted quickly just incase. Thanks again Celeste
grant stanley
/ January 30, 2014i wonder if they had been detained , how many other possible crimes these guys could have been linked to had they been questioned and this incident taken more seriously.
Marieta de Jongh
/ January 30, 2014Jare terug to P&P hipermarket in Brackenfell oopgemaak het, het ek ook so iets oorgekom dat iemand my kind uit die trolley by die till gevat het en ek was histeries…..hulle het onmiddelik die deure gesluit en terwyl sommige mense buite gesoek het en ons in die winkel gesoek het, Toe het ons ‘n blanke vrou met my kind in haar arms…..sy het mense by haar gehad anders het ek haar aangerand!!! maar die personeel het dadelik opgetree….ok toe was diens nog puik en die mense motivated!!
Louise
/ January 30, 2014It is just such a shame that neither PnP nor the police could even be bothered with this extremely serious situation. Pick n Pay, you will NEVER be visited by me ever again. So sad that ‘the man in the street’ is totally alone, with no support structure of any kind anymore – maybe we should rise up and show all these morons what power there is when the masses stick together!
Bobby Bennett
/ January 30, 2014I challenge Pick n Pay to post the video footage online, and let the public see for themselves, and decide.
Marieta Theron de Jongh
/ January 30, 2014ek stem….die verskonings is baie swak…..as hulle weggekom het …dan het sy nie meer geleef nie. ek glo nie enige iemand in ons land sien dit as ‘n grap nie!!!!
mommy
/ January 30, 2014That PnP could seriously have dealt with this better, my PnP would of dealt with this better, they are so hands on and friendly they would have had the cops out and the idiots would of been taken away, I think its just this badly run PnP and their crap staff! And in terms of your kids been taken while you turn you back for a second it happens all the time everywhere, it happened in Woolworths Fourways the mom turned to take something off the rail and when she turned back her baby had been lifted out the trolley people saw what happened and shouted at the lady who took the child, she dropped the Child and ran out the store. You hear these horror stories all the time, I think the best you can do is teach your child from a young age not to be quiet to scream stranger danger if someone they don’t know approaches them and not to trust, talk to or go anywhere with someone they don’t know! Call me paranoid but I’m doing what I can to keep my child safe!
Chellie
/ January 30, 2014Was that store not robbed at gun point a few months ago? So the manager puts the two men in jail, they get out within 2 days, who are they going to be p’ed at? The store manager! He gets killed one night after closing the store! Would everybody be happy with that outcome? I don’t blame the poor man. Nobody died, lesson learned, move on. PnP is a retailer, not a law inforcement agency. People should watch their children at all times, not just in stores, unfortunately that is the reality we live in.
Philip
/ January 31, 2014That is a spineless attitude and one of the reasons the crime rate in the country is so high. I work with the CPF and SAPS on a regular basis putting my life in danger to try and make the neighbourhood safe for people like you. We don’t have enough man power. We are 20 dedicated people covering an area with more than 17,000 residents. If we started standing together we could knock crime hard. WITH RELATION TO THIS STORY, there was an attempted kidnapping and intent. This is a crime. Wish I was there. Then the store manager could have f’d off and we could have had them arrested. And yes, I assisted in an incident like this before and now have my own little boy. I don’t let go off his hand when we are at the mall…
Chellie
/ January 31, 2014Wow, great for you! You are a hero! Would you like a gold star for that? The manager in the shop propably also has a family, did you think of that? How can you compare you heroic act to this incident? Really, and if the mother didn’t go around crazy, the child wouldn’t have been so traumatised. The mom is looking for sensation now, that is all.
Philip
/ January 31, 2014Hi Chellie,
Thanks, the sarcasm is really appreciated. Firstly, I’m not looking for praise, nor are we looking for praise. It is something we do for others, with a smile on our faces. Second, so he let’s them walk where he could just hold them until SAPS gets there. Two criminals. Tomorrow they kidnap your child, or someone else’s child that you know. Would you want the store manager to just let them walk and lose your child cause he has a family? If we all took that attitude, then I would walk by while someone is raping a woman, a little girl, or committing murder and just turn my head away… SORRY, I can’t do that. I will help, even if it costs me my life, cause it is the right thing to do, and my moral standards and self serving attitude has not dropped as low yet as it seems the majority of South Africans has.
I hope the day they take your child, some CPF member or member of the community with the balls to try and help is there… and not someone that is going to let an innocent child be taken because he is scared. You will thank the one that helps and I’m pretty sure would blame the one just standing by.
It is people like you that make our jobs more difficult and a lot of time demotivate police officers, security guards, CPF and Block watch members as well as normal average day citizens just going by their daily routine that are willing to help when the paw-paw hits the fan.
Leon
/ January 31, 2014Wow, thats why SA is in termoil – Spineless
Durbandaisy
/ January 30, 2014Firstly, I am so sorry to hear about the horrific experience of Margo13, how distressing for her, her daughter and her family.
Sadly, our children are not safe anywhere in the world. I am an expat South African residing in the UK and personally know of a number of similar experiences from friends and\or family residing in Australia, South Africa, Europe, UK and so on.
I highly recommend watching the documentary “Not My Life”. It gave me a prospective on how wide spread this issue is and the world we live in.
Thank you for sharing this story. I sincerely hope with your help, and the voice of others as well as the local authorises Pick n Pay will look to address the issue for the sake of our children (and parents).
Cameron
/ January 30, 2014we try never to turn our backs but it is impossible to have an eye on them 24/7. things happen so fast that just by blinking them you could be in that exact same position. i cannot imagine how this woman feels. the only thing i can say is i would have probably ended up in jail if this happened to me.
Gianni
/ January 30, 2014This is a lesson to all the Mothers do not leave your child unattended at any places in South Africa. We are not in a safe Country,especially more than half of the population in South Africa are criminals.
Ashleigh
/ January 30, 2014This happened to a woman in the Pick and Pay in Constantia, Cape Town when I lived there! They got the baby into the bathroom and completely changed it’s outfit or boy into girl. Luckily the security guards acted quickly and shut the exit gates of the centre. Baby was found abandoned in the trolley. Same modus operandi. Mom turned her back to browse and baby and trolley were gone!!
DamianRS
/ January 30, 2014This is a classic response from PnP or any of the large retail stores to shift the blame to anyone else except themselves. They know they are at fault and wont admit to it. This shows that the PnP staff and security is not equipped to deal with matters like this. If that mother had to take a R5 chocolate and was caught then she would’ve been detained and locked up and possibly mistreated by the staff and security. Cause then it would’ve been PnP’s products being stolen! I have a 2 year old daughter and if that would’ve happened to me, i would’ve been locked up for assault of that 2 b*****ds, the PnP manager and security staff. PnP should be ashamed of themselves for not having proper procedures in place. I hope this matter wont left like this and that PnP will get their act together as well as the other retailers!
chantel
/ January 30, 2014Pick n Pay should have detained the men, until the police got there and went back on their instore serveillance cameras to see if they made a mistake or wether the men were well aware of the trolley that they claim to have mistakenly taken.
angry
/ January 30, 2014Kill the mother fuckers and burn down pick n pay for the help that they have been, and the police ( that’s why the rape, murder and gangsterism is so high, because you don’t react on something before it could relly happen)
lee
/ January 30, 2014I’m sure if they had been accused of shoplifting some goods the Pick n Pay security would have marched them off to the office for questioning..but heck this was just some child???? WTF
Rosalind
/ January 30, 2014This makes me feel so angry, just today our topic of discussion was the amount of kids who gets hurt everyday, and there’s proberbly so many more that we don’t get to hear of!! It breaks my heart into a million pieces to hear how sick people out there are!! We forget the important message in our bible which states: Suffer little children to come unto me!!! Pick ‘n Pay Capricorn, I am absolutely disgusted in the manner you’ve dealt with the situation, this is definately one store which I will never ever set foot in!! I say more of us South Africans should take a firm stand and not accept this at all!!!!!!
Lynne Sassman
/ January 30, 2014Pick ‘n Pay and the SAP muizenberg should be taken to task for their nonchalance attitude in this matter!!!! to those of you who have responded saying that it’s the mother’s fault or that pick n pay should not be held accountable….you are missing the point completely!!!!!!
IngiP
/ January 30, 2014My new years resolution was to not accept bad service. If I come into your store I am your customer then you should make damn well sure I am safe and my family coming with me are safe. Yes you can put up 100 signs to indemnify yourselves should I slip on a banana peel, but honestly to not consider the abduction of a child something you share responsibility in is just ridiculous. Yes mothers shouldn’t turn there backs etc but mothers cannot watch their children 24/7 if something happens to them while they at school do you want to still blame the parents? maybe we should all turn to online shopping then useless store managers, store security and everyone in between would be out of a job. Thanks Pick n Pay the years have been fun but I’m a mother of two now and I’ll choose to shop elsewhere in future.
evelyn
/ January 30, 2014first and foremost all Pick n Pay stores have cameras and the footage is recorded and usually saved for a certain period and then is overwritten. If someone is suspected of stealing/misbehaviour they should be apprehended, the footage on the cameras checked and then the appropriate action can be taken..The manager and the security of Pick n Pay should have detained the men and immediately checked the footage from the time they entered the shop until they walked off with the trolley….. this would have shown their intent….. this footage can be saved and copied and forms part of the prosecution if that is the route to take. Mr Yusuf should be seriously disciplined for not handling this properly…..there is no ways these men mistook the trolley when a child is sitting in the seat…….TOO MANY CHILDREN ARE BEING RAPED Mr Yusuf, what do you think these men would have done with the child had their actions been successful……do you have children Mr Yusuf? …… u are seriously at fault here!!!!! and definitely not a good advert for safe shopping at PicknPay.
How do you intend to handle this Mr PicknPay……. ….
Cathelyn Williams Frewing
/ January 30, 2014How could you say that, you clearly are not a Mother or a Parent even. You think each time you need to take something off a shelf you have to take your child out of the trolley to do so??? Just admit those were sick bastards who clearly had one intention to kidnap that child. That is not a game, that is really serious right there, And you who called himself Chuck Norris You are also sick and twisted, There is no reason for anyone to take someone’s child…..PERIOD
Wendy
/ January 30, 2014Chuck Norris, you’re a prize prick! Obviously you are not a mother who takes your child with you when you shop, stop judging and walk for a day in a persons shoes before you give your stupid idiotic opinion!
Marieta
/ January 30, 2014This is so scary!!! Indead it is P & P fault!! They are suppose to have SAFE shopping environment for everybody including children!!! But instead you have to look over your shoulder and hope that you and your kids will be safe while shopping in their store!! Of course the police will do nothing either as they are so corupt themselves! And Yes that manager is most probably in on this!! Even the staff at pick and pays are useless! In my own expierience when asking for help they will just look at you and point. Also most of the time you need to wait if you have veggies or fruit to weigh.. No one on side!!! Now how is that for service! Pick and Pay you suck! I would say rather do your shopping while your kids are still at school and just before you pick them up. That will keep them the safest!! Thanks a big eye opening for me!!
Jenny
/ January 30, 2014I personally cannot wait for the manager of the store to sue the frilly knickers off you, you hysterical trollop. You read a second-hand, hearsay account of one side of a story, outrage mode kicks in and you use an isolated incident (how many kids go in and out of PnP’s stores quite safely each day?) to moan about the queue to weigh your fresh produce.
You’re mad, you are. Mad.
chuck norris
/ January 30, 2014It could have been handled better, but if the mother did not leave her child unattended, this would never have happened. Take responsibility and do not point the finger at pnp. It could have happened in the parking lot, wonder who you would have blamed then? The car guards?
Charl
/ January 30, 2014Grow a brain Chuck…nobody is blaming, we are shaming the corporate giants for thinking of their profit margins rather than the safety of a child. Clearly the Mom is the only one who responded appropriately…Lets not even start talking about the knucklheads at SAPS…Oh wait, do you have shares in PnP or are you a Cop? Would explain why you are commenting using a Chuck Norris pseudonym instead of posting your brain farts under your true identity…Chicken much????
Delane Adendorff
/ January 30, 2014Chuck Norris…you seem to be an expert at parenting! As a mother myself, I can tell you its not the parents fault. How can you make such a comment. Have you never turned your head on someone you love for a few seconds? Your comment is clearly one that is said on impulse without any thought or consideration for the mother. Yes it is Pic n Pays fault! They should have security in place and they should have taken the correct steps 1) called the police 2) taken the men in custody 3) pulled the CCTV camera tapes 4) consoled the parent in question. Instead they let 2 paedophiles walk free. Lets hope they don’t end up taking your child while you turn your head for a few seconds!!!!
Marieta
/ January 30, 2014Chuck Norris you are in denial!!! And obviously you don’t do the shopping in your house!! That is if you even have a house, wife and kids!!!! Yes it can happen anywhere but it didn’t it happened in Pick and Pay!! So lets hope that something like this never happens TO YOU!!! I think this is the only way you will realise what it is to be a parent!!!
You are obviously a prick as you did not even have the balls to post your real name!!! Disgusted!!
Leigh Rose
/ January 31, 2014Chuck Norris: I am usually the first person to hold parents accountable when it’s absolutely clear that their lack of parenting ability led directly to the childs misfortune. E.g. that mother who sends her 5 year old son to the shop to buy bread alone, after dark, (in an area notorious for child abductions) only to never see the child again should be locked up for willful negligence, and in a lot of those kinds of cases should also face a murder charge. Or the parents who don’t think it’s necessary to put young kids in appropriate child safety seats while driving – only to have the kid break it’s neck when they suddenly have to break to avoid something
However, turning around for a few seconds (or minutes even) while your child is seated in the trolley in a busy shopping centre can never be considered as negligence on the parents/care-givers part. Furthermore, it is absolutely the responsibility of the shop managers to ensure adequate safety for their customers for one very simple reason: if the shop ends up with a reputation of being very unsafe for the normal shoppers, who’s going to go there? They’ll be closing their doors due to loss of business very quickly.
For every one else getting their knickers in a knot: How many child abductions happen that COULD have been completely avoided had the parents acted more like parents? How many young children’s lives could have been saved if only they had been born to more responsible parents? Going back to the example above, a few years ago on the Cape Flats and little girl (age 5) went missing. Only to be discovered a few days later, raped and murdered. Her grandfather was quoted as saying “I knew things like this were happening in the area, but I didn’t think it would happen to me… ” that’s why he let her out into the streets, on her own after dark… because it wouldn’t happen to him! Too often we hear these kinds of stories and while I think Chuck may have gotten the context a bit confused, he does at least echo the anger I feel when it is DEFINITE parent negligence that has resulted in the horrific death of a child.
But, again this isn’t one of those situations because in all fairness, if you can’t turn away from your trolley to pick something up off the shelves, then what is actually left?
Leon
/ January 31, 2014So if you leave your car unattended in the parking area- you give up the right of ownership – Asshole – wait till this happens to You….Soooooon
nini
/ January 30, 2014I am so sorry for this mom and kid!
A very similar incident took place at DisChem in the Bayside Mall (Tableview) last year. Absolutely no response from DisChem to date. None. And they were asked to respond on various platforms (social media / telephonically / in person / etc). No response. I don’t shop there any more.
May
/ January 31, 2014I’m glad you’ve reported this. I won’t set foot in that store again either. Businesses need to realise that they have social responsibility!
Karl
/ January 30, 2014pnp Capricorn has cameras, pull recordings and see if they were indeed shopping or planing a crime and make the useless manager watch.
Craig
/ January 30, 2014I have contacted Pick n Pay on Facebook. This is their response to my posting: https://www.facebook.com/Picknpay/posts/10153835630535287
I say, all Moms should be contacting Pick n Pay to ask them why this situation was handled SO BADLY!
Delane Adendorff
/ January 30, 2014I say we dont stop at them…they want this situation to quieten down and be forgotten. The more we hammer them and tarnish their reputation the more they will take the matter seriously!
Monique
/ January 30, 2014This is absolutely horrifying! After my son was born, I refused to go to the stores alone and even refused to put him in the pram. I wanted a pram in which baba faced me but got another one as a present which meant i couldnt have my baby in my sight. So I carried him every where. He is now almost 3 and I’m still terrified going to the shops with him alone but we cling together like monkeys and I play with him the whole time while shopping just so I know he is close. A few years back there was a similar incident in Secunda. The mom drove out the parking by the Spar and waited at the robot where some guys smashed the window and took her kid from his car seat. Another guy luckily saw what happened and chased after the van and eventually caught them. When mommy finally saw her kid again, he was transformed… hair saven, clothes changed, the works. That is where I picked up my fear. Rather over-protected and have some fights with your kid in addtion to having him/her stolen….
Lyle Fortuin (@DelilsRB)
/ January 30, 2014Pick n Pay capricorn’s management should be held accountable for this…how can they stand by and do nothing when this happened in their store?
Timothy Smith
/ January 30, 2014Now… If you had sworn at the Manager or hit the ‘men’ in the head with a bottle of tomato sauce… P ‘n P would have had to call the SAP…
Timothy Smith
/ January 30, 2014What a horrific experience!
Now… If you had sworn at the Manager or hit the ‘men’ in the head with a bottle of tomatoe sauce… P ‘n P would have had to call the SAP…
Louis
/ January 30, 2014That is why I don’t buy from them,they have a slapgat attitude in their shops and are expensive.This woman should take it uo with their Head-office and also report it to the newspapers.
Mischa
/ January 30, 2014I am appalled by the response of Pick n Pay. Family store? I guess not!! I had an incident at PnP & nothing was done about it. I have since then boycotted PnP! Pick n Pay is really a disappointment!
theresa
/ January 30, 2014this is so not on damn had the police been called these men could of been detained for attempted kidnapping and who knows their identikits might is what can save many parents and help us as a society to be vigilant too.. well done mom as for the security and manager Yusuf of pick and pay I pray this never happens to your kids God forbid…ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JessS
/ January 30, 2014Hey Ladies
I think we need to get a petition going here?
Shirley Bisschoff (@sbriedenhann)
/ January 30, 2014Yes!
Tacha
/ January 30, 2014Agreed!!! Im certainly in.
Emily
/ January 30, 2014This incident is truly scary! With South Africa being one of the top 10 countries for human trafficking, I would think that learning to handle a situation like this one would be part of any managers training. I REALLY hope that Pick n Pay HEAD OFFICE (or any other retailer for that matter) do something about it. Are our kids safe in any Pick n Pay if they are not safe in Pick N Pay Capricorn Park Muizenberg?
Shirley Bisschoff (@sbriedenhann)
/ January 30, 2014Think about it this way – if the lady had pointed out the men stealing a product from Pick n Pay, they would have been detained immediately and the police called. A child, oh no, not quite as important.
Shad
/ January 30, 2014im confused, yes guys tried to abduct, yes PnP and police could have reacted much better in this situation, but since when do you turn your back on your own kids? even just for “5” seconds.. lesson learnt i hope. Now people want to blame PnP. seriously.
John
/ January 30, 2014Yes, it’s the mother’s fault. Idiot.
Colette
/ January 30, 2014Really Shad? The mother is not blaming PnP for the incident, she is blaming them for not responding correctly. All parents know this could happen anywhere, but surely reputable stores, where we spend our money, who have security in place should not be a place where you can not be human enough to turn your eyes away for 5 seconds to grab a lettuce???!!!
Delane Adendorff
/ January 30, 2014Shad! I am a mother. I turn my head all the time! Sometimes for over a minute when choosing something! Are you saying you live your life constantly staring at your child! Get Real…clearly you work for Pic,n Pay!!!!!
May
/ January 31, 2014Isn’t it funny that its only men making these inane comments about how its the mother’s fault. Really? Have you ever tried shopping with a small child? We do our best but we don’t have eyes in the back of our heads.
Leon Janse van Rensburg
/ January 31, 2014It’s not the fact that we are criticizing woman, it’s the fact that she didn’t have the responsibility to look after her own child and wants to blame PnP for her incompetence.
If I take my girlfriends kids to the shop I walk with the trolley to what I want and stand by the shelve and take the item off. I don’t care if someone else wants something behind the trolley they can wait because we live in a sick society and can’t leave our kids unattended!!
Leon is DUMB
/ January 31, 2014https://www.facebook.com/leon43?fref=browse_search
Farzana
/ January 30, 2014OMG!!! This sends shivers down my spine!!! Thank you for sharing and making moms out there aware.
Shirley Bisschoff (@sbriedenhann)
/ January 30, 2014I asked Pick n Pay via Facebook what they are doing about the incident and they had this to say: “Hi Shirley. Pick n Pay’s first priority is always for our customers and their safety, and we take all incidents very seriously. Thankfully the child is safe and was already back with her mother when our store staff were first alerted. We have cooperated fully with the police, including providing a detailed statement and sharing our CCTV footage. We have also met the mother again since the incident to express our sympathy and support, and explain the actions we have taken. Our understanding is that, having investigated the evidence including our CCTV footage, the police believe that this was not an attempt at kidnap and that there is no case for taking further action.” From the horses mouth apparently there was no ill-intention! I still want to know what the reason was for taking a strangers child away if not to kidnap her, then what?
Martha Brink
/ January 30, 2014“No ill-intention”?? Does any reasonable person seriously believe that someone can go two aisles without realising that it is not their child in the trolley? When the child actually faces the person pushing the trolley!!!! I can not believe P’n P’s take on this, (or the Police) I do agree with Shad that one should never turn your back on your child,, this was applicable even when I had my first child nearly 23 years ago. And is probably even more applicable now. But, we all forget here and there, we are human, and that is where we expect Management / staff /security to step up to the plate and do their bit. Thank God & the Angels that the child was unharmed and found.
Marieando
/ January 30, 2014Totally Pathetic. PNP Capricorn is a joke!!! The staff who work there think they are doing you a favour and for the manager….! Im just glad Margo13 saw this in time and got her little one back. Im disgusted. How do you “mistakenly” walk off with a trolley with a little girl in it? hahaha, shame on you PnP Muizenberg. Im going back to PnP Plumstead…….
Debbie Engelbrecht
/ January 30, 2014This traumatic event thankfully had a happy ending and I truly hope that you, your little one and your family recover fully. My blood has run cold reading about it and how often it seems to happen.
it has also highlighted to me that the average individual (also read retail employee) is not necessarily aware of all the crime that can take place in our country and in their stores. I own a training company and it has never occurred to us to make retail employees aware of potential abductions in the store. Emergency procedures, daily theft, staff violence, armed robbery, all of these are included under security measures, but never (attempted) kidnapping or abduction.
Thank you Margo for taking this further, a direct result of your action is that I am going to include this example in the training workshops to ensure that retail staff, management and security become more aware of the threats to our children today, and also what their responsibility is to ensure it does not happen. Morally and legally.
reluctantmom
/ January 30, 2014Debbie, that is great – I think that this incident has made us all aware of something that we probably did not factor into our daily thoughts. If retailers and mall managers can pick this up as a subject to focus attention on, and train staff accordingly, I think it will go a long way to hopefully ensuring that this incident will never be repeated.
Martha Brink
/ January 30, 2014Many years ago, a child was abducted in a mall in JHB, Also, I think in a P’nP. All exits were immediately closed and the store searched. They found the abductor and child in the bathroom, the child’s hair was being dyed!!!! But management and staff responded swiftly and a tragedy was averted.
Claire Mariotti
/ January 30, 2014I’m not happy with PNPs response, what has happened to the manager / staff concerned? – are they being retrained on the actions to be taken in these situations , what about their other managers around the country – do they know how to respond appropriately?
PNPs response sounds like a canned answer that has been scripted an left on file after a marketing workshop on what to say to the public & press when something goes badly wrong. Big Onion to Pick n Pay.
K
/ January 30, 2014Personally I think that everyone who said that you won’t shop at Pick n Pay because of this incident is being silly. It is unfortunate how the situation was handled at that store. This has happened before at other retailers, in Malls and shopping centers. This can happen anywhere, and we Parents must always be aware of our children’s whereabouts regardless of where we are.
We need to make our kids aware of Child Abduction. Make them aware of the situations and techniques that these spineless criminal and syndicates use. Teach your kids to scream if a stranger takes them; teach them what to do in these types of situations. Teach them to ask for help and not to be scared. If I hear a child stay or scream “Help strangers are taking me”, I will do everything in my power to help and let nothing happen to that child. And I’m sure that there are a lot of other Parents that would do the same.
There have been many instances where I have seen little ones wonder around the shops without their parents or meters behind them. Take notice of these kids and make sure nothing happens to them, don’t be like other people who just carry on walking, not even noticing the child. We as a community have an obligation to look after and protect all children and we as South Africans need to all look out for each other. If we see any criminal activity we need to react and not turn a blind eye.
Shirley Bisschoff (@sbriedenhann)
/ January 30, 2014The bottom line is the men were caught red-handed, taking the child away and Pick n Pay let them go. As you said, “If we see any criminal activity we need to react and not turn a blind eye.” Pick n Pay turned a blind eye.
Santie
/ January 30, 2014Margo, sue them. This appoligy is to late.
Delane Adendorff
/ January 30, 2014I agree! Sue them! Go see a lawyer!!!!!
Mervyn George
/ January 30, 2014I’m from SA and live in the UK now. One of the great things here is that store staff are trained for incident management. In a case like this the first member of staff you tell gets straight on their radio and announces a Code ‘N’ alert. The entire store goes on lockdown within seconds. The security shut the doors with everyone inside and cashier close up to start looking for the missing child, by which time the member of staff you have told is announcing what the child looks like and what they are wearing. It’s a serious risk and if foul play is suspected people are detained until police arrive.
Stores around the world should have a similar approach and avoid brushing things off purely because management has not made the investment in educating their workforce.
reluctantmom
/ January 30, 2014Great idea. I hope that Pick ‘n Pay will announce soon that they will be implementing something of this nature.
stacy
/ January 30, 2014Another thing that I noticed in America is that the children are taught “Stranger, Danger” classes. The kids are taught in school that if someone they don’t know tries to grab them they are to kick and scream as loud as they can. They are also taught how to get out of a car boot from the inside and many other skills that could save them. I know that this has saved at least one little girl that was almost grabbed from a shopping mall in America. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they did something like that here?
Charl
/ January 30, 2014Brilliant suggestion Mr George, please send it to PnP. In fact it should become a policy for all stores to follow in case of this kind of incident.
May
/ January 31, 2014I lost my two year old in builder’s wharehouse and they did this immediately. Shut the doors and started helping me look. She was eventually found running around the materials section. I thought someone had taken her because I couldn’t believe she could run off that fast but it only takes a second. And I’m very vigilant. Big up to Builder’s Wharehouse in Sunningdale. Pick n Pay – I think every mom who reads this should complain about your store’s safety procedures! I’m most definitely going to!
Pick n Pay
/ January 30, 2014Pick n Pay takes any incident of this nature extremely seriously, and our first priority is always for our customers and their safety. Thankfully, the child is safe and was already back with her mother when our store staff were first alerted. We have cooperated fully with the police, including providing a detailed statement and sharing our CCTV footage. We have also met the mother to express our sympathy and support, explain the action we have taken with the police, and underline the processes we have in place in stores to deal with fortunately rare incidents like this swiftly and effectively.
Amor du toit
/ January 30, 2014Hierdie aspek moet na n meer senior vlak geneem word. Dit is nonsens dat n bestuurder van n winkel sy skouers optrek,wat gebeur volgende? NEE NEE hier moet regtig n ingryping van n televisie of soortgelyke medium kom om hierdie tipe grappies stop te sit!
Faaiqa Gamieldien
/ January 30, 2014On becoming a mother, I was given the best and most sensible advice: “Treat your child the same way you treat your handbag. Carry with you at all times and NEVER leave unattended. It / the child, WILL get stolen.
steve
/ January 30, 2014Parents need to know the truth, that 8 children under the age of 5 go missing every hour in the country alone and in 8 hours after that, they are in another country with passports and ID’s that are as fake as they come. people are not aware of the seriousness and due to working with the SAP and child agencies’ I have seen ccv tapes, that will make you carry your child wherever you go..craxy but true…
Dr Sheldon Cooper
/ January 30, 2014Why is my comments deleted? Wonder if the moderator aren’t involved as well???? 😛
Wendy Robinson
/ January 30, 2014This happened to me with my 5 year old son at Pick n pay in Constantia, the exact same thing, I was weighing my tomotoes and turned around and my trolley and son were gone, luckily I ran in the right direction and located an elderly well dressed lady hiding in a aisle by the exit, she told me she was playing a game and was telling my son to be quiet. I did not know if she was slighly demented and then only afterwards realised what a clever ploy, as all the people around thought she was the granny and that I was making a fuss!
Mel
/ January 30, 2014This is truly shocking!!!! A friend of mine was in Meltz in Somerset West during December with her 5 yrs old twins. She kept an eye on them constantly, as there were two men hanging around too close for her liking. The next minute one man grabbed her one twin by her arm and told his friend to run!!! Luckily the child tugged loose and ran to her mom. She obviously shouted, but the security also just let them run from the store! Luckily they were caught on surveilance cameras and the manager was helpful! Obviously they were never found, but this is really scary!!!!
Retha
/ January 30, 2014This is disgusting and scary!!!!! How sick people can be! People should realize there is nothing more dangerous in this world than a mother!!!!! That’s a fact! This should not be tolerated in anyway and is my opinion that there should be some sort of prosecution in such cases and should be thoroughly investigated.
shan
/ January 30, 2014I am a father of a five year boy IN Durban. I am so disgusted by Pick and Pay for their reaction or rather lack of reaction. I will not shop at pick and pay anywhere untill something significant is done for the Mom. I’m so mad I’m spitting spiders!!
Tonya
/ January 30, 2014very scary! you can never be too careful. Very happy her daughter is safe and sound!
love, kids and other things
/ January 30, 2014Reblogged this on love, kids and other things and commented:
This one is for the parents… be extra vigilant out there!
love, kids and other things
/ January 30, 2014Gosh, I feel sick on my stomach reading this. I have heared similar stories of an attempted abduction at Blue Route, the stories all vary slightly and was never sure if it was an “urban legend” as such. Having this information come first hand from the Mom hits home. Really unacceptable from PnP. I hopefully social media assists with this matter not being swept under the carpet and makes us all that little bit more vigilant ensuring this does not happen again.
May
/ January 31, 2014No its not urban legend. I’m a member of the community policing forum and we have had reports from the police of similar incidents in Bayside Mall in Blaauberg. I do not take my children shopping any more. We live in a country where women and children are seen as objects to be used and discarded. Time to take a stand and bring back the death penalty. Many don’t survive because they get killed so they don’t point out their attackers. If there was a real penalty, maybe some would be saved. Scarred for life but alive.
stacy
/ January 30, 2014What’s really really scary is that the two guys that tried to kidnap that child are now going to think that they got away with this and instead of second guessing or consider that stealing a child from the shops is a bad idea, they will most likely just go to another shop and try it again. Mothers, Fathers, watch your children. This could be the start to a new trend.
cailinmedia
/ January 30, 2014Just a quick one. Surely pick n pay has cameras that they can go and see if the men ‘really took the wrong trolley’.
Louise
/ January 30, 2014Your own trolley wont have a 4 year old child in it.
Margo
/ January 30, 2014Hi All , Thank you for all your support . This was by far the worse experience of my life .
My daughter keeps asking me why the strangers wanted to steal her and everytime i look at her i get emotional . I am one of the lucky ones and extremly blessed that i managed to get my little girl back . As for pick n pay would they have reacted the way they did if an uproar wasnt made of this incident , i complained on hello peter and got radio stations involved and called the head office myself , Now everyone is concerned and reaching out to me i have had various meetings with Pick n Pay management and after viewing the footage themselves understand the seriousness of the incident . I have been visited at my home and given flowers and chocolates by Pick N Pay as a friendly gesture REALLY !!!!!!! 😦 the police have also been involved and want to interview me this could have been done right the 1st time . This has really affecting me pyscologically and have seeked professional assistance . Please please please hold onto your kids it took a few seconds . Will Keep everyone posted
Bob
/ January 30, 2014Margo, our thoughts and prayers are with you and family. I really hope the police are able to somehow track down the scum that did this. If they dont, get the CCTV footage on to YouTube so parents everywhere can see what these guys look like
bderdey
/ January 30, 2014Thank you for sharing this story. It is sad that we have to worry so much about the issue. But highlighting it and speaking out about incidents like this are both essential for raising awareness. I am sorry for the trauma that you and your child have been through. I hope that you find peace on the matter, and I pray that your child will overcome her fear and insecurities. It was in no way your fault as I’m sure you know. Well done on acting so quickly and thank you for reminding us to keep our wits about us!
Mel Sydenham
/ January 30, 2014What a dreadful experience you have suffered. I am shocked at the late response from Pick and pay. It is unacceptable that they treated this matter so lightly. I hope that social media makes all parents aware how vunerable they are when shopping with their children. SHAME ON YOU PICK AND PAY
Shirley Bisschoff (@sbriedenhann)
/ January 30, 2014Hi Margo, after I posted on Pick n Pay’s Facebook page, asking what they were doing about the incident, they gave a cut and paste PR spin on the whole thing, as I see they have above. Frankly, it sounds like a load of BS to me. If they had not taken your child in order to do something terrible, then what was the intention? Your kid would have been another sad statistic. I’m so glad you caught those bastards before they were long gone.
Tacha
/ January 30, 2014Hi Margo,
I have also pasted on pnp wall on facebook and they gave me the same cut and paste as they did in the replies somewhere above. Someone else at pnp also answered after that. Here is the reply:
Pick n Pay Hi Natacha Richenda Van Wyk. Pick n Pay’s first priority is always for our customers and their safety, and we take all incidents very seriously. Thankfully the child is safe and was already back with her mother when our store staff were first alerted. We have cooperated fully with the police, including providing a detailed statement and sharing our CCTV footage. We have also met the mother again since the incident to express our sympathy and support, and explain the actions we have taken. Our understanding is that, having investigated the evidence including our CCTV footage, the police believe that this was not an attempt at kidnap and that there is no case for taking further action.
Tacha
/ January 30, 2014And here is my reply to them on that (I couldn’t type everything I wanted to, it wouldn’t allow me to type more than 1000 caracters: I do not believe that you can mistake your trolley for someone elses when there is a live child sitting in it. The police obviously has no brains, they are probably a part of it, apologies to those of them who are still trying to make a difference and do their jobs. We all know how corrupt they are. It is not pnp choice whether the case goes further or not, however it was the managers choice to throw a blind eye when it first happened. If someone had tried to leave the shop with something they hadn’t paid for, whether by accident or intentionally, I have no doubt that the person would have been held there till the police came. I know this because it has happened to someone I know, long story short she wasn’t guilty of stealing, but she was taken to the police station and got questioned. Point is, even if they did not attempt to steal the child, pnp staff should have made sure there was no doubt in anybody’s mind before letting the culprits go.
Shirley Bisschoff (@sbriedenhann)
/ January 30, 2014My thoughts exactly Tacha. Flip, I am so MAD that things like this happen.
Mandy Du Plessis
/ January 30, 2014Margo, I think you did everything right and everyone else involved did everything either wrong or too late. I am a mother to a beautiful two year old and I can tell you if someone put one hand on her there would be bloodshed. I showed my husband your story and he became so distressed that he immediately went to check on our little one and vowed that should he see anyone trying to take any child that doesn’t belong with them he will make sure to step in. We will keep you, your daughter and family in out thoughts and prayers and be thankful that your daughter didn’t end up another statistic. It’s a scary world we live in when our children aren’t safe anywhere! Makes me so flipping angry that they become prisoners in their own homes. I remember running in the streets til it was dark and my mom would yell from a window to come home, and there was no fear of abduction! Now you cant even take them shopping!!!! Please! Something has to be done. South Africa has the highest rate of child murders in the world! The government, who say they are making things better need to step up and actually do something for a change.
Jackie
/ January 30, 2014Hi Margo, I totally understand what you are going through because exactly the same thing happened to me at Dischem, Bayside last year with my 3 year old boy. As I turned to look at the products on the shelf, a man ran to my trolley and pushed it away, I saw it and ran after him and grabbed the trolley. He said it was just a joke! By this time my son and I were in tears. Management dealt with it so badly or should I say didn’t deal with it at all – they only contacted me 5 weeks after it happened, when I started posting my story on the Facebook wall. Everytime I closed my eyes at night I saw this man pushing my son away which made me extremely emotional. My son also won’t let me even take my hand off the trolley now and asks me why did that man want to steal me – soooooo terrible!!!! The emotional pain for mom and child is irreversible – I really hope something happens to these men! They can’t get away with it!
Bryan marks
/ January 30, 2014Wake up pic n pay , instead of your tellers speaking loud to each other and joking , and keep the customers waiting , look at your camera footage and safe guard your valuable clients , you will loose those shoppers to other markets , the security guards should be trained to look out for these un happy events and act fast
Stephanie
/ January 30, 2014I am totally disgusted. I won’t be shopping there anymore and will forward to all I know to give that store a BIG…..
Michelle Rix
/ January 30, 2014Well I know of a woman who had twins in her trolley, made her way to the check out and paid for her groceries which was +- R1000, but there was a 2lt milk behind the 1 child that she didn’t see. Pick n Pay made this woman call her husband to fetch her children so they could call the police – she was then handcuffed and put in the back of the police van and spent 6 hrs in a holding cell….. BUT I suppose it’s fine to try and take a persons child!!!!!
Thanks, but will no longer support PnP!!!
Berita Drescher
/ January 30, 2014That’s the way BOYCOTT this rubbish supermarket chain who does not care about their customers’ safety and what could have happened to that little girl, but goes ballistic and calls the police for a misplaced bottle of milk! I never liked Pick n Pay and this will put the CHERRY on top of the cake! Sies Pick n Pay you ought to be ashamed of yourselves! Its a vendetta against the white race ….. I am now convinced as I’ve had my fair share of it in the past. Hope this letter reaches every person who is still shopping in the wrong place……your personal safety is not regarded as important with this mob.
Keshia
/ January 30, 2014This is very scary, see how quick they do these crimes. I don’t blame the mother for going on about this, if these men had more time they would’ve taken off with this little girl. Pick n Pay should’ve detained the men, why would they take a trolley with a little girl in and say that they thought it was theirs, they can clearly see its not theirs because the child is in it. How can security believe that it was a joke, its obviously not, are they living in a bubble? these kind of crimes are happening everyday, they should take this seriously. Arrgghh, this angers me so much because that could’ve been my daughter in that trolley.
Carmen Oldewage
/ January 30, 2014I often go o this Pick and Pay store with my two year old and think I will give it a miss after reading this story. I am not surprised that the manager was unhelpful! Have had a few incidents with him where he was very rude towards me – first time because my toddler took a packet of gum and tore it open without me noticing and second time because I was standing in the wrong line with my trolley. Something should be done because this is unacceptable!! How could anyone possibly ‘mistake’ their child for another? Disgusting!!
Wilhelm Snyman
/ January 30, 2014The story reflects the kind of cynicism that infests SA… brutality and poverty vs santised anxiety… and people turn a blind eye at the most horrific things because they’ve resigned themselves to doom. This is one very off-putting aspect of living in SA… the genetically induced sense of futility. Call it legacy of apartheid, which certainly never gave rise to a sense of the common good… and just plain stupidity and selfishness.
Natty
/ January 30, 2014It is sad that pick ‘n pay did not handle this situation at all……we all feel that something had to be done at that moment…. detain the men,call the police, have a look at the video footage and post their pictures in public places such as libraries and clinics as well as community newspapers. …….what if they do this again….they should be barred from coming onto the property. We can help by sharing this story….and not shopping at Pick ‘n Pay.
Candy
/ January 30, 2014This happened to me in May 2013 in Checkers in Davenport (durban). I took 2 steps to the left of my trolley whilst browsing the shampoos, all the while chatting to my little boy (2 at the time), when I realised he was no longer in my space! A man dressed as a security guard was crouching in front of the trolley pulling him away. I got there before he got too far. The guy laughed at me and walked casually away into the crowds whilst I consoled my frightened boy. Management told me they were sorry for my experience but there was nothing they could do. When I asked for CCTV footage I was told there was none!! Mums never take your hand off your trolleys! It happens so quickly!
RJ
/ January 29, 2014My problem with this is ,they are gonna try their luck with someone else ,and God forbid that they don’t succeed in their actions ,believe me they will try again
Woywoyozzy
/ January 29, 2014It seems PnP haven’t changed much over the years. I remember an incident involving my younger sister, about 20 years ago. She was 14, shopping at PnP with our mom. It was very cold, and she had her hands tucked into her top, sort of near her bellybutton. The security guard ran up to her and literally stuck his hands under her top and then down her pants. My mom heard her screaming and came running around the corner to see this guy with his hands in my sisters pants. Anyway, long story short, my mom was furious and called the cops because PnP wouldn’t. They said he thought she was shoplifting. And he had a wife and 10 kids or something, and really needed the job. My sister was completely traumatized by the whole thing, but hey, it was just a misunderstanding according to PnP.
Anon
/ January 29, 2014I fail to see how PnP is given all of the blame here. This type of scenario can happen anywhere at any time, and on this occurrence it just happened to be at a PnP. If they have video surveillance (which I assume they do) then it should be handed over to the police. But blaming PnP for their lack of security (they’re not an armed response last time I checked) is completely misguided and not solving the real issues in question here.
reluctantmom
/ January 30, 2014I agree, I do not think Pick ‘n Pay is the villain here – I think the way they handled the situation extremely badly. I do however hope that they use this as a learning point, and to be honest I hope that other retailers do as well.
I shop at Pick ‘n Pay and I often have my kids with me – I keep them close, and I used to always have a policy of keeping one hand on the trolley, but I realised that what tends to happen, is you park your trolley, and take 2 – 3 steps to get an item off a shelf, or to lean over a fridge or what every, so you are realistically not always in contact with your trolley at all times.
The fact that these guys could be so bold to walk up and take a trolley with a child boggles my mind, and I hope that this post assists us all in being a bit more vigilant at stores, and also leads to retailers having a conversation about this incident and how they can train their staff to be a bit more aware.
Brons
/ January 30, 2014Clearly you are delusional. I have often gotten a cooldrink for my daughter whilst doing my shopping and allowed her to drink it whilst we are busy. Do the security guards not follow me all over the shop until I reach the till and check that I pay for it, which I ALWAYS do. There is NO crime committed until I leave the check-out without paying. Yet I get followed all over the store….just in case. Clearly these men were going to kidnap the child, that is a no-brainer! The trolley had a child in it and it wasn’t their child so obviously the intent was criminal. I mean yes we’ve all probably grabbed the wrong trolley but have realized before we’ve gone a few steps. This one had a child in it that wasn’t theirs AND they were two aisles away! Top it off that they left the store with no child so they obviously didn’t have a child with them. All this the manager of the store should have figured out for himself and acted accordingly, PNP has to take some responsibility absolutely. They took no action at all.
Tacha
/ January 30, 2014The real issue here is that they did NOTHING! We know they are not the police, and we know they are not armed security, BUT, they do have a phone to call the police, and they didnt. And it will still be kept quiet if Margo did not make a scene.
alley
/ January 30, 2014I work in a busy restaurant and it is unbelievable how people can let their kids run out of the shop where their is oncoming traffic at all times – it suddenly becomes our responsibility to look after their kids!!! Please people dont be naive we are not living in the 60s and 70s anymore – teach your kids about the bad things out there!!! You as a parent are the reason your child is being traumatized because you dont prepare them for the outside world and its a cruel outside world!!! It is time we as parents also start taking some of the blame instead of expecting others to take the fall for us!
hanna
/ January 29, 2014This happened with me in dec wonderpark pnp:2nd time in 4months double diff scanrite policy denied to me.I left shop w\out double diff.I did posted it on hello peter.Istore phoned me and I refused to go back at own costs for diff,mngr of store said this matter being solved then. I posted on their f\book page that floor mngr who denoied double diff scanrite to me was wearing other staff member’s nametag,he confesses it to me. This is a misconduct of staffmember at w\place. 2 forms needed to be filled in for o\charge and double diff s\irite t is so easy for staf to give only o\charge amount and denying double diff to client and to fill inthemselves after client left store,using info on 1st o\charge form and pocket the double diff themselves -another misconduct. At how many pnp stores are this happening on a daily base!! Double diff scanrite policy(new) works like this-wst customer fills in form for o\charged difference for all,if more than one,the items o\charge and receives the amount. 2nd comes the double diif s\rite policy where the customer is rewarded of being o\charged if barcode responses on barcode on shelves-double the diff of o\charged diff for one item is given to customer. By denying the 2nd step of implementing the double s\rite policy,they can just after customers left the store,do it end pocket the money themselves!!!
Jolene Smith
/ January 30, 2014I cannot understand anything of what you are saying!!!! Write in bloody English so we can read it next time!!!
James Desertviper Vos
/ January 29, 2014All customers are well within their Legal Right to sue any store or business,should they be injured or feel they were in harms way or that of their family, Due to Neglect and Proper Staff Procedures.You could seek legal advice as to sue for emotional stress to yourself and your child.The security should be fired, they clearly did not follow protocol.Any crime or attempt at committing a criminal offence requires security staff/personal to inform management,who in turn is required by law to contact the Police to investigate and determine if they feel a crime was indeed taking place.And all such incidents are meant to be noted in the Security IRB ( Incident Report Book )
fairoez
/ January 30, 2014This is starting to sound more and more like a syndicate operating in stores to kidnap children for human trafficking… Isn’t it alarming that no one in authority seems to be alarmed as this problem is so widespread and in the papers and news. makes me suspicious that some inside involvement is going on . Does this sound to far fetched in the current political and social climate we find ourselves in?!
Colette Giquel Rossouw
/ January 29, 2014Makes you think whether the manager of pnp was in on it too ???? nobody in their right sense of mind could believe the K@K story these men told. if they got that child, she would have had HORRIBLE things done to her and never have lived thru it. I really doubt these men would try their luck there again, so be aware and always within an arm’s length of your child in ANY shop. I hope they took the details of these men… if they’re not even SA citizens, forget about ever finding them again. They’ve prob already got their next victim. SHAME ON YOU PICK N PAY AND THE SAPS!!!!!
Lynne
/ January 29, 2014I am really sorry for this terrible experience that you and your daughter endured. It is rather disturbing to hear that no support was given from Pick ‘n Pay and SAPS. I hope that you will overcome the trauma. Take Care and be safe.
Tom
/ January 29, 2014A mistake is possible…but then I would think you would have a trolley with your own hild in close at hand? PnP should have video footage of the guys? It might be worth getting and posting. I too, if I go to Capricorn PnP again will certainly mention this episode.
Sakkie
/ January 29, 2014Fire the security guards and the manager. Make an example of them
chuck norris
/ January 30, 2014People need to keep their kids in their sights. It is not the responsibility of the pnp or any other retail to watch out for your kids. The mother was negligent and now she wants to shift the blame.
Cindy
/ January 29, 2014So disgusted with the manager’s no care attitude – I work in the business park and shop there, no more , they have lost me as a customer – spread the word – you know that saying- it’s either great or deterimintal to business, I will be warning people I work with, they all have small children, don’t know what this world is coming to – so disgusted
Jackie Rosenberg
/ January 29, 2014The almost identical thing happened to me also in Pick n Pay Northgate, thank goodness I had a stunning customers standing next to me who spoke and helped me out the situation. Him and is wife said that if I took it to management they would not believe it at all as I have no evidence, and that I need to stay in the shop and carry on shopping with both my kids holding onto me at all times, and take longer than normal in the shop as ‘he” is more than likely in a group, and if I leave they might follow me home and know exactly were I stay as well.
John Smith
/ January 29, 2014Yusuf Prins, Assistant Manager of the PNP liquor store, Muizenberg?
http://www.picknpay.co.za/picknpay/content/en/store-search-results?cat_ids=-1&store_keyword=Muizenberg
a granny that shops with her grandchildren
/ January 29, 2014this is disgusting I hope that Pick n Pay do check the video and that the manager and security are taken to task
Marie RIDOUT
/ January 29, 2014They have security cameras…they can even see what articles are packed into your bags.. It is that clear. I think these guys must be found, fingerprinted etc and see if they do not already have a criminal record…this could most likely lead to other children being found that have gone missing etc.
SidevieW
/ January 29, 2014This needs a whole social media campaign on FB and twitter to get PnP and other supermarkets to realise this is serious, and that when they have once let such people free, if it happens again the store manager as well as the executives should be held accountable for the incorrect reaction in the first place. Maybe jail time will make them wake up to just g\how serious this kind of thing is!
Lucie
/ January 29, 2014About 10 years ago my friends 2 year old daughter was also abducted in P&P. An elderly coloured women put my friends child in the bigger section of the trolly and covered her with a coat. Lucky my friend got security to lock all the doors and my friends daughter was found still in the shop but near an exit. The woman was taken into custody by the police. This was in the Northern suburbs of Cape Town.
Franky Pretorius
/ January 29, 2014No, I do not agree at all. Pick and Pay is a Retail store. There are signs everywhere saying that you are acting at your own risk. LEAVING YOUR CHILD ALONE is really stupid! Not Pick and Pay, not Woolies, not Checkers THE MOTHER!
Santie
/ January 30, 2014Franky, not the most cleverest comment we’ve heard. Anyway, you also seem to miss the whole point – it was reported and NOTHING happend, they walked out of the store. What part don’t you understand?? If you don’t have anything sensible to say, sit down.
Shirley Bisschoff (@sbriedenhann)
/ January 30, 2014So walking a metre or 2 to pick up a lettuce is leaving your child alone? Don’t be absurd woman.
margo
/ January 29, 2014Hi all thank you for all your support. I have had numerous meetings with management not to my satisfaction. Sage and I are trying to get over the bad incident which could have been managed correctly footage have been secured and police involved. Management have assured me they taking incident seriously and have visiting me at my home with regular feedback. Still doesnt change how I feel and will continue to feel in the days to come. I will keep everyone posted. MARGO
Charl
/ January 30, 2014Hi Margo, Thank you so much for making us all aware of the dangers around us. I am so sorry that you and little Sage had this horrible experience. I emailed PnP to hear what they had to say about this incident and there response was the usual corporate PR drivel. I am relieved that you acted quickly and got your precious little one back unharmed. Lets be honest people. These men did not mistakenly take the trolley, this was a dry-run to scope how well the people in this area respond to this kind of threat. I hate to say it, but we will hear many more of these incidences in the near future. SAPS and PnP’s joint inefficiency have helped put two predators on the prowl in our community. Please be vigilant, report any suspicious behaviour, intervene if something looks odd. I’m sure that on that day someone saw those men take the trolley with Sage in it, but didn’t intervene because its not there business. Protecting our children should be Everybody’s business. Stay safe everyone XOXO
dori
/ January 29, 2014Are they crazy , best thing we can do to Pick n Pay is make this spread like wildfire , post to facebook and let everyone know until they are forced to take it seriously. Social media certainly has it’s place.
Mads
/ January 29, 2014I work in the nearby business park. I am prepared to get the CCTV footage from the store and make them face the truth. they have someone manning the screens the whole time, that store has cameras everywhere. tell us exactly the date and the time. no problem. the management is actually really nice, so with the right approach I’m sure they’ll happily oblidge
Retailer
/ January 29, 2014Being in retail myself, the correct procedure would have been to ask the gentlemen to accompany them to the security office, I am sure the store should have security camera’s as most stores does in the isles where the video footage could also have been reviewed. the law also states that if a person steals, they do not have to pass the pay point anymore to for the crime to have been committed but as soon as the person conceals the item, the crime has been committed, according to law they conspired to commit a crime which is fully punishable by the law and this a crime actually happened. With Pick and Pay not assisting the client, she can hold Pick n Pay accountable as being accessories to a crime.
Elle
/ January 29, 2014This is just too shocking to comprehend! The guys (2x guys?) making a joke! I mean really, how frigging dense can the store manager be😡
bernardt
/ January 29, 2014you should have taken a knife and stabbed them to fucking death!!!!!
Cyril
/ January 29, 2014So this is Pick ‘n Pay, there is no threat in a loss of profit to them if a kid is nabbed… had it been a packet of nappies or a slab of chocolate that was being stolen (or an attempted theft) then they would have called the cops. Pick ‘n Pay, (like most other retail stores) don’t give a shit about their customers, case in point… they have camera’s in-store to protect their merchandise, and also to watch staff to prevent theft. Ever seen camera’s in the parking lot? Where the customers cars get broken into… where Pick ‘n Pays loyal customers get hijacked… nope, no cameras.
Yolanda
/ January 29, 2014we must always know where our kids are…..kids must not lag behind, we must hold their hands or just dont take them if you have many. I have one, and i hold her hand…… I see many ladies walking and the kids are far behind and they THINK they know where the kid is, but they actually dont. I know this is off the topic…but let us parents be parents. This world is evil and we cannot let our kids out our site for even 1 second. LETS WAKE UP.
shana
/ January 29, 2014This is so true, I sometimes see kids far and even closer just walking alone while mom is either on the phone and I will stop them and ask them why they are being so selfish and I will embarrass them to the point where it will sink in.
I have a 2 year old and I don’t take my eyes off her,
If something is out of reach I take her out of the trolley and fetch it. I don’t turn my back on her ever…. This world is way to sick to take chances with our little ones.
suzetteroberson
/ January 29, 2014Absolutely disgusted! How do u mistake a trolley with a child that is not yours? I hope that shop loose customers and the saps are taken to task. They should investigate re video cameras. Thank you Lord for Your intervention xx
shana
/ January 29, 2014Parents should also be more careful.
reluctantmom
/ January 30, 2014I think parents are — but the reality is that one cannot keep hands and eyes on a child every second. No matter where you are or how careful a parent you are, you need to be able to take 2 steps away from your child without the threat that someone is going to physically run off with your child.
Yes, the onus of responsibility and care of your child rests with each parent – but as a society we also have a responsibility to ensure that predators are not allowed free reign.
theresa
/ January 30, 2014I hope so too!!!!
Jane
/ January 29, 2014Is something only done when the child is kidnapped, raped and murdered. PNP should be disgusted at this store managers reaction. They had the opportunity to prevent something instead they turned a blind eye!
Carla
/ January 29, 2014Surely this is attempted Abduction. Where is the stores cctv cameras.
And that the police said no case.
I will personal not shop at any pnp for you to get answers.
This is disgusting.
Xx
Heather
/ January 29, 2014Someone needs to make an example of these disgusting Animals!!! All the government and Police talk about is trying to stop abuse/rape and murder to our children yet all they get is bail and we don’t hear anything else!!!! I think the government needs to start taking responsibility otherwise we will take the law into our own hands!!
deborah
/ January 30, 2014Heather, agree with you 100% except for the ‘disgusting animals’ bit – Animals would not do this and they aren’t disgusting…….. 🙂
steven
/ January 29, 2014i shop at the same pnp BUT NOT ANY MORE i have a 4 year old as well i can only imagine what the mother as well as the daughter must have been feeling. the fact that the manager did not do his job is disgusting by law you can hold someone who is a suspected criminal until the police have been notified and have arrived at the shop if they were not trying to abduct the little girl then they would have no problem to stay and state there side. i ask one question they left the store with nothing after the manager said they committed no crime “thought they took the wrong trolley” surely they had stuff to buy. There is also cameras installed in the shop i am sure on the video you will be able to see them taking the trolly to a different isle so please they clearly had a motive for being in the store but we will never know now due to some peoples blind minds.
Meagan
/ January 29, 2014I heard this story on the John Maytham show as well while driving home. Me, not having any children of my own, could feel the mother’s emotions run through me, just by listening to the tone of her voice. She was definitely traumatised. How scary is it? How terrifying must it have been? I can’t even imagine it. Surely, those guys had some intention…even a 4 year old could see that?! To mistake their trolley for hers, really? To say it was a joke, really?! I do hope that the management of Pick n Pay be dealt with accordingly. They could have detained them until the police got there. To not do anything about it….that just adds to the problems we already have in this world. Sending those guys back out there…probably the biggest mistake! We are meant to help each other…not brush it off as if it was a crumb on your plate. It was a woman who almost had her child kidnapped. Seriously. More could have and should have been done to stop those guys. I do hope that we get an update on this story…
Cindy
/ January 29, 2014I am disgusted and also went cold! I was in the store just yesterday 28/01/2014 with my 2 two year old twins, I refuse to set foot in that store again with my kids. I am going back one more time to give the manager a piece of my mind though!! pathetic excuse of a person…MArgo13 do not leave it like this….take it further. the next mom might not be as quick to act as you were. Thanks for sharing. Hope ur angel is okay now.
Lara
/ January 29, 2014I heard that story on John’s show and went insane inside because it sounded like this poor mother was beside herself which is totally understandable. She was right in everything they said and management of the store should definitely have been hauled over the coals for that. How absurd that they could state they made a joke and that they thought the child was their child????? Why would they have told the little girl to keep quiet??? It was a crystal clear attempt at kidnapping. The fact that the store management were absolutely non-nonchalant is despicable! That was a perfect example of an attempted kidnapping, and perpetrators like the two men involved should have been questioned and arrested. You do not “make jokes” when your actions leave people traumatized. In this sick society, that was utterly wrong. So many stories of kidnapped, raped, murdered children in the news every minute of every day, and this is how the management of that store responded to this incident and mother and child who were victims?? I would have gone absolutely insane. You could hear that mother was still shaken when she was telling the story. So head office had been contacted by the mother and they were more sympathetic etc, but the damage had already been done. My gosh – in front of one’s eyes they grab your child! Where are we allowed to take our children these days. Flip! I have three daughters aged 7 and 5…I use a trolley and have two walking beside me when they are with me at the store. I absolutely freaked out listening to that mother. You go cold when you don’t see your child for a second in the store, so multiply that by infinity to imagine what that poor mother went through.
Chantal Cherry Abrahams
/ January 29, 2014This is the worst nightmare for any parent! It makes me sick to think that these people would go to any lengths to take our kids & do who-knows-what with them 😦 & it breaks my heart thinking of how many families this must have happened to. Pick n Pay & any other store for that matter should have a safety policy in place & strict rules around things like this because we all know the extremes these people will go to abduct kids. Our country & government needs to step up with these laws aswell because its clearly getting out of control!
Funna
/ January 29, 2014I am sure if they had ‘accidently’ or ‘mistakenly’ walked out with a stock item, Pick ‘n Pay would certainly have detained them until SAPS arrived – DISGUSTING! I sincerely hope the manager and security guards are heavily reprimanded!
Sandy
/ January 29, 2014Seems that PnP just done care…………….. with the rate our children disappear in this country and the atrocities that go on in media every single day, you would think that at least they would have been taken in for questioning, police called, who knows, maybe Pick and Pay could have put two more offenders away, don’t think if they are this brazen, that its the first time they have tried to take a child, who know how many times they did succeed. Shame on you Pick and Pay. You just gave them a gap to do it again, and again, and maybe even again…………… Just saying.
michelle
/ January 29, 2014Pick n pay do not care one bit for their customers. My three year old daughter ate a pie from pick n pay last week and found a chunk of glass in the pie. When I laid a formal complaint I received an email to say thanks for my complaint and they hope I have many more happy shopping days at pick n pay!! Wtf???
Zade
/ January 29, 2014I don’t have kids and nor am I the biggest,strongest guy around but may “god” help who ever “mistakes” [did you also leave a white kid in your trolly Jacob??] a trolly with a child in, for theirs….. It is one of a few instances where I would not apply “innocent until proven guilt” ………..
babiesandus
/ January 29, 2014Absolutely disgusted with Pick and Pay and our police force. This is the 2nd time in less than a week I have read about something like this. It seems it is a new thing to try and steal our precious children, especially our little girls. I am so angry!!!
I will most definitely try and find something to help keep my daughter safe. What is this world coming to.
nicoleshepstone
/ January 29, 2014That is shocking and a absolute disgrace. If you know what is happening in the child trafficking and sex-slave industry. PLEASE people DO NOT take your hands or eyes off your children if for a few seconds!!! Can you only imagine what could have happened and has happened to so many other families. My heart bleeds.
Richard
/ January 29, 2014Mom must demand the CCTV footage and take the matter further. The footage will reveal what the intentions of the 2 men were.
Megan
/ January 29, 2014With the child being the witness that she was told to keep quiet she shld be able to lay a charge. Its the law. Its there word against hers. If u attempt to steal or u steal both are crimes.
I would definitely take it further. Maybe u shld take photos of them, find out where they live and put pictures up in their area warning people to watch out for these two guys! Also in many of the communities they take those guys and give them a hiding. So alteast if someones kid does go missing they will know who’s house they must go knock on. Pay someone to put the pictures up.
Alexandra Jakubowski
/ January 29, 2014You will probably find that the reason no-one at Pick n Pay is doing anything is its likely that the Manager of the store is the one behind it all. A cut of the total price of child successfully abducted. The world is such a dark place, but most of us don’t go out at night. Its easier to believe in the good of people but sometimes we just have to be a bit cynical to protect ourselves and our families.
Pat Allum
/ January 29, 2014If that was all Pick n Pay could do for this poor Mom it is disgraceful, vote with your Money and give Pick n Pay a miss, you can get everything they sell elsewhere. As for SAPS what could I say that hasn’t been said already. 😦
Franci
/ January 29, 2014If this is how Pick nd Pay is going to treat their customers I refuse to do any shopping at any Pick n Pay – If the men were stealing any product the whole shop would have reacted Is a child’s life of less value to Pick n Pay??????????
G
/ January 29, 2014That Pick and Pay has always been a fuck up. It stinks and is dirty and I hated shopping there…. very sad story but not unexpected… 😦
BFive
/ January 29, 2014Pick n Pay just let two kidnappers and potential rapists on the loose. What heros!!! Tsk
Jackie
/ January 29, 2014The exact same thing happened to me in Dischem Bayside!!!!! I turned to look at the product on the shelf and a man rushed up to my trolley with my 3 year old boy and started pushing it away! When I grabbed the trolley from him, he told me he was just joking and wanted to see my little boys reaction – at this point my little boy and so were crying! We also tried to lay a charge but police said they didn’t get away with it, so we can’t do anything! Dischem handled the situation terribly eventually we posted the incident on their wall and eventually one of the directors contacted me. Everything was caught on the security camera – he told me that the man had been dismissed but I don’t feel the situation was dealt with properly. My son and I have had terrible PTS. 😦
Diane Wilson
/ January 29, 2014I heard this woman on Cape Talk and admired her for making a fuss. Even if the men in question had a sick sense of humour in trying to frighten the mother, they should be severely punished. Only a parent can know how terrifying a prank like this can be.
Dee Robinson
/ January 29, 2014It is quite simply appalling. I don’t even have children and I’m horrified. I say, just sope elsewhere and make them feel it where it hurts most. In the till.
Mrs Fabulous
/ January 29, 2014Oh my goodness, so sorry that she had to go through this!! But this has rather been a disturbing wake-up call for all us mommies with small kiddies. 😦
Stacy
/ January 29, 2014I have to say that reading this made me a bit queezy. I couldn’t imagine being involved in such a situation. I think more needs to be done to increase security in such establishments. An article like this really helps you to wake up and ensure you’re taking all of the steps possible to prevent such an event from occuring. I want to thank you for sharing this.
reluctantmom
/ January 28, 2014I can’t understand how they would let the men leave the store without asking them to wait and let the police question them.
Realistically once they have left the store, and no one can identify them, and let’s assume that the surveillance camera’s quality is so bad that they cannot really see anything, what can they do?
I think that is what astounds me on this – is what was everyone thinking???
Supermom.com
/ January 30, 2014I’m a Mom too and I cannot even entertain the thought of this happening to me. I strongly believe and agree with you that Pick ‘n pay manager should of handled the situation with much more caution, that store is now an easy target! The manager doesn’t care! There is NO WAY that you can watch your kids 24 hours a day! as a community, we need to be alert and aware of each others kids too! TOGETHER we can build a barrier, a safe environment for OUR kids. I’m DISGUSTED in the way it was handled and you were treated, I wont shop there EVER!
Carla
/ January 28, 2014I can actually not understand how neither pick n pay nor the police did anything for this poor mother.
What I am understanding from both pick n pay as well as saps is that if someone holds a loaded gun to your head with the intention of killing you but for some fortunate reason gets interrupted and cannot proceed with their intentions, then they are therefore not guilty of any crime because you are still alive telling the story!!!
I find their responses and lack of action to help this mother and her little girl, who was about to be abducted and most likely raped and who knows what else, ABSOLUTELY APPALLING!
Me, as a mother of a baby girl myself, am terrified of what this world has come to! Even if I had a boy, as a parent, I feel that the only way that this country and many others will get some order and lower the crime rate is if they bring back the death penalty!
All I am able to do is pray for God to protect us and help us to do our utmost best to keep our babies safe from those criminals! I know and believe and trust and have faith that God will bring no harm to me or my baby girl! Amen
Chriti
/ January 28, 2014Sadly, it doesn’t seem like Pick ‘n Pay values its clientele anymore 😦
The next time we go out, I am putting my 2year old in his harness again, and if anyone dare look at me like I escaped from somewhere, I will point them to this article!
Jennifer
/ January 28, 2014Funny good friend I know was told in pick and pay she was stealing. Apparently she had changed price tags. She was taken to jail and was not allowed even a phone call. She was hysterical and cost R 5000 to get her out. But when the security cameras were viewed they showed a different women before doing this deed. They were so quick to detain someone who was going to steal a few rand off them but not 2 men who clearly were going to kidnap a child. Priceless. ????
It’s crazy.
Gogga
/ January 27, 2014Wow there are already so many products out there
Guardian Angel 4 Kid’s Tracker Child finder Locator Alarm Protection Security
looks pretty good but I do like the idea of it on their wrist with a special little key to be able to take it off.
Gogga
/ January 27, 2014I have heard of two other cases like this in South Africa and I wasn’t sure if it was just rumors or if this was for real. (Both were in Gauteng and in shopping malls). This is like you say adding another dimension to the paranoia when taking your kids out with you or letting them go to the shop with grandma. You get one of those purse alarms where a siren goes off when your handbag gets taken from you. I think I am going to make one for my son to wear when I go to the shops (even though I live in London) this is just too scary.
The Blessed Barrenness
/ January 27, 2014I tweeted Pick ‘n Pay for their comment which was, disappointingly rather a brush off -: Abducting babies in trolley’s @ PnP, would love to hear @PicknPay’s response? cc @reluctantmom http://t.co/tlBl3GvXtj http://t.co/dhszAyXCN6
12:44pm, Jan 27 from HootSuite
PicknPay
PicknPay: @SharonVW : Hi. Understand fully our customer feeling traumatised. She has our full support.
1:02pm, Jan 27 from HootSuite
Nicci
/ January 27, 2014Reading that made my blood run cold too!
Gaelyn Cokayne
/ January 27, 2014Oh wow, wow wow wow. I am speechless. Shame on you Pick and Pay! And well done to the mom for acting so quickly, and also for speaking up about this awful situation. It’s a good lesson to all of us to keep a close eye on our kids whether they are in trolleys or not!
The Blessed Barrenness
/ January 27, 2014OMG! Terrifying! I feel quite sick after reading that!
Alexandra
/ January 27, 2014What a truly scary situation and you would at least expect to have the support of those around you – the management and the security. I hope PnP head office gets very involved with this store and also send a memo to all other PnP stores on how to respond should anything similar occur.
Tracy Blues
/ January 27, 2014Spot on, Celeste! I also heard the call to Cape Talk and, like you, my blood ran cold. Like most mums with small children, I regularly have my child in the trolley while I’m shopping. The reaction of the Pick ‘n Pay staff was outrageous. The security failed to make the store a secure place and the manager failed to manage the activities in the store. I believe Pick ‘n Pay head office are investigating and being very helpful which is all well and good but unless they train their employees to deal with this kind of threat properly and reassure shoppers that they are safe from kidnapping (!) I will vote with my feet and my grocery spend and do my shopping elsewhere.
Cindy
/ January 27, 2014My Mom told me about this as well. As if I wasn’t paranoid enough. I’m disgusted that Pick n Pay let them go. Absolutely ridiculous without at least questioning them and detaining them for the police – who knows how many other children were taken like this by the same guys!!
cat@jugglingact
/ January 27, 2014Very very scary and Pick and Pay shoudl do something about this