Men Trying To Lure Schoolchildren Into Cars

A letter has been sent to parents with children attending Vesturbæjarskóli elementary school in the western part of Reykjavík, warning them of strange men who have been trying to lure children into their cars, reports Vísir.

The letter was sent after some parents reached out to the school claiming men had been offering their children rides and candy.

The school has contacted police who are now aware of the situation and have asked parents and children to report any incidents or offers for rides immediately so that the police can react as quickly as possible.

The school also plans to educate children on how to handle being approached by strangers and not to speak to people they don’t know in public.

In recent months several schools in the Reykjavík area have reported men attempting to lure kids into their vehicles by offering them rides or candy.

“It can surprise people but most of the time these are terribly ordinary men, in some cases with family’s of their own,” said sociologist Helgi Gunnlaugsson in an interview with Fréttablaðið. “[People imagine some dirty old pervert] but actually the number of sexual assaults against children committed by strangers is extremely low.”