The “latent” stranger was seen near a cooperative store in Bishopsworth, Bristol – before approaching the little girl, grabbed her arm and tried to make her talk to him
My mother recalled the terrifying moment her daughter caught by a masked man while walking to school in Bristol earlier this month – as the perpetrator continued.
The young victim, a pupil at the Pedmnester School at the school, was contacted by a stranger who was “lurking” near the cooperation store on the Bishopsworth road at about 8.45 am on Friday 14 March. Then the man grabbed the girl's arm in an attempt to force her to talk to him.
Her mother, Catherine, said that her daughter got out of the bus at 8.20 am in that morning when she noticed the man who was hanging. Catherine told Ristol Live, she kept her head and continued to walk to school, and did not pay him a lot of notice. She said: “A few moments of walking behind him felt a big hand while holding her right shoulder and a man speaking while forcing her to walk next to him.
“For all intentions and purposes, it seemed like a father with his arm revolving around her shoulder, so it was not possible to look at the ordinary at the time of today. This happened very quickly,” Catherine continued, and she was so afraid that she did what he wanted.
“For approximately 10-20 minutes, he walked it by force on the road before he spent something and exceeded his grip enough for her to escape from him. She finally arrived at school [after] Half an hour.
The school said it was briefed on the accident and sent a message to all parents. “When the school rang to tell me that I cannot believe that, this is not what you expect a phone call about it,” Catherine added. “My mind went to think about everything whether it had happened or did not happen.
“I confirmed to my partner, the police and I did nothing other than force them to walk with him, but only through the opportunity to escape and I fully realize that this could have had a completely different result, as you do.” Catherine added that her daughter was more withdrawn and quieter since the accident.
She said: “I have incredibly shaken everything and scares that this may happen insolent in the open, especially when there are many children in the area who go to school.” “At its age, they are encouraged to themselves to and from school, but this has happened now, I am afraid every time you get out of the house and I cannot see it.” Catherine adds that she wants parents to “talk to your children as much as possible.”
My mother added: “I did this already, but at the moment when I was panic and everything came out of the window, but we need our children to know that screaming/screaming/kicking or giving up rape to obtain help and so on is what they need to do and continue to remind them of this, then, God does not prevent, this will know what they do.”
Avon and Sumer Police said they were currently investigating the accident, and appeals information from members of the public who may have seen anything. The man is described as his age in the thirties or forties of his age and was wearing a face covered at that time. Anyone who can help call the police 101 with a reference number 5225078364.
A police spokesman said: “On Monday, March 17, we received a report that a child was contacted by a man who grabbed his arm while they were on the Bishopsworth road. It is understood that it had occurred at about 8.45 am on Friday 14 March. School,” a police spokesman said.
“The man is described as his age in the thirties or forties of his age, and wears a face covered at the time. If you have any information you think it may help in achieving us, please call 101 and give the call processor the reference number 5225078364.”.
A spokesman for the Bedminster DowN School said:
