The 22-year-old Donny M. from Geleen, the man suspected of involvement in the death of the 9-year-old boy Gino, has previously been convicted of child abuse. The suspect lives near the empty burned-out house in Geleen, where the police found the boy’s body early on Saturday morning.
One of the most common pieces of advice parents give their children is not to go with strangers. “The concept of ‘stranger’ is not the same for children as it is for adults”, explains Heidi De Pauw, CEO at Child Focus, in an interview with ‘VTM Nieuws’. “For a child, someone dressed as a clown or the lady they see every day on the way to school is not a strange person,” it sounds. “It is important that children – if they are approached – first ask their parents or other adults for permission to come along.”
Child Focus advises parents not to project their fears onto their child. “People with bad intentions look at children who are prone to such things. That is why we advise not to let fear and panic spread to children. Children then become insecure. People with bad intentions are going to use that uncertainty to gain the trust of the child.”
Also, Child Focus does not think it is a good plan to locate a child via GPS tracking systems. “This wouldn’t have helped Gino. People with bad intentions very often know how to manipulate children and how to get around those kinds of systems. We are in favor of teaching children to confide in someone if something doesn’t feel right. Measures such as GPS tracking systems give a false sense of security.”