Police warn parents to step up their responsibilities after a 4-year-old girl missing last week

The Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF) warns parents and guardians to step up their responsibilities to look after children after a 4-years-old girl went missing for two days in Honiara last week.

The warning came after a parent left her 4-year-old girl in a ship at the Pt Cruz wharf and was busy selling some food at that ship prior to the ship’s departure.

Supervising Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Honiara City, Superintendent John Matamaru says, “The parent left a 4-year-old girl watching a movie with some other children while she was busy doing her food selling. She makes regular visits to her but at her last visit she found out that her small girl had gone missing.”

PPC Matamaru says, “It was so lucky that a St John school student who came at the time when the ship was about to leave saw the little girl so desperately and cried for assistance. The girl had no option but decided to assist her out from the ship and search for her mother but could not make it as she was in a rush to board the public to go home at Mount Austen.

Superintendent Matamaru says, “The student decided to take her to any nearest police station or Honiara City Council Law Enforcement but she refused. on Saturday they called the police and informed them that the little girl was safe with them.

Mr. Matamaru says, “I would like to remind us that if you encounter such a missing child please go to the nearest police station and inform police about it to avoid frustrations. Police mediate between both parties and they have some kind of understanding and go home with the child.”