IN A TURN of events, police revealed that two foreign workers arrested for allegedly attempting to kidnap a 19-month-old child were just trying to help.
Following investigations, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the incident was a misunderstanding which was confirmed after an examination of CCTV recordings from the supermarket.
"Our investigations found that the child, along with her mother and aunt were using an escalator which had malfunctioned to go to the upper floor.
"The child was having problems ascending the stairs of the broken escalator and seeing this, the two men, from Nepal decided to help and lifted the child.
"However, the mother misunderstood their intentions and thought they were abducting the child," he said.
The two men are legally employed at a nearby factory and were regulars at the supermarket.
The suspects also did not flee when detained by the public and further checks found no evidence of kidnapping preparations around the supermarket such as vehicles for abducting the victim.
It was earlier reported that the two workers were arrested after the mother raised an alarm, while pictures of the duo in handcuffs went viral on social media.
Following the revelation by the police, netizens have since hit out at the mother for her actions of allowing the child to walk up the broken escalator and falsely accusing the two foreigners.
“What type of parents would instruct their 1-year-old to ascend a malfunctioning escalator alone? Now wonder the foreigners attempted to help by carrying her, only to find themselves wrongly accused of kidnapping.”
Netizens also said this was an example of why people were often reluctant to help others and mind their own business.
“This is why I think 10 times before helping someone else. People these days are different. So, it’s okay, I’ll do my own thing. Mind my own business. Only when people ask for help will I help.” - The Vibes, March 30, 2024
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