Leigh
case leads to project to find missing kids
The
kidnapping and murder of student leigh has a new
initiative that has already succeeded in two runaways
being ruturned to the parents.
eBlockwatch,
an Internet-based initiative aimed at uniting South
Africans to fight against crime in various ways,
has launched Student Buddy, a programme in which
parents can register their children.
"Parents
can register their kids on eBlockwatch. They need
to give us basic details and then a short SMS description,
as well as aphotgraph.
"Then,
if their child is ever in truble or goes missing,
we immediately send out that message to our members,"
said Andre Snyman of eBlockwatch.
The
project, which officially launched last night, already
boasts two success.
"Last
week we located Amy Cousins - a 20-years-old girl
who had disappeared with with a guy who had doddy
links with drugs - in Barberton," Snyman said.
The
second success story was that of Charine Mynhardt
(17), who had disappeared from Alberton High School
on May 28 - 12 days before Leigh was kidnapped.
"We
tracked her down at a house in Germston last week
where she had apparently been staying with a stripper.
The police managed to rescue her."
East
Rand police spokeperson Superintendent Andy Pieke
said officers had found Charine on Monday and a
charge of abduction was being investigated.
Snyman
said he had already recieved positive feedback from
people who had found out about eBlockwatch and had
immediately asked to sign up.
He
said the project was developed in response to an
eBlockwatch member who claimed that while he could
recognise Leigh Matthews' picture, he wanted an
easily accessible copy so that he could double -
check if he spotted anyone who appeared similar.
And
the mebers asked eBlockwatch to circulate a photo
which could be recieved on his cellphone.
"We
have got Avis as a sponsor, and they have offered
to send a chauffeur - driven car to pick up any
kids in trouble," said Snyman.
Meanwhile,
the police have stated that investigation into Leigh's
murder are cntinuing and progress is being made.
Detectives
have appealed for help in finding a ring she is
believed to have wearing when she was snatched on
Friday July 09.
It
is a thin, white-gold with a light-blue tanzanite
stone, with three small diamonds arranged in the
shape of a triangle on either side of the stone.
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