Kidnappers on the streets! Stealing children from under your very nose in heartland malls! Stay at home, be suspicious of foreigners talking to your children!
Turns out, the only thing kidnapped were people's ability to reason! Initially, there were rumours of failed kidnaps spread in the internet by the Chinese tabloids and of course, in the internet. The public then became kan cheong which is a natural reaction. Then the police turn to become kan cheong and they started investigations. Thankfully, no real kidnaps were found so far. What the police found were instead 5 retards spreading kidnap rumours!
To me, spreading of kidnap rumours of young children is as vicious and disturbing as spreading bomb hoaxes. Both cause the public to be kan cheong and panic. We become suspicious of anything, our lifestyle is undermined by anything, and we live in fear of everything. All because some stupid losers want to spread rumours. With Good Friday around the corner and its inspiration of state crime and punishment, I beg the police to crucify these rumour spreaders instigating public fear with their reckless actions.
However, seriously, who is to blame? Stupid assholes who spread rumours in the internet, or stupid people who soak in such rumours circulating in the internet. We ignored scam chain emails, or at least most of us do, but yet some of us want to believe in unverified kidnap rumours! Maybe most of us are vulnerable to these kidnap rumours as it is not unbelievable and it preys on our fears of lost children/siblings when parents look the other way in the crowded suburban mall or the MRT station.
Hence, all the more since these rumour spreaders knew which buttons to press in their little fear factor game out of stupid fun, let the police who did a good job so far of quashing the rumours, next go all the way out to punish them. Let it be a punitive deterrence. Off with their heads!
Turns out, the only thing kidnapped were people's ability to reason! Initially, there were rumours of failed kidnaps spread in the internet by the Chinese tabloids and of course, in the internet. The public then became kan cheong which is a natural reaction. Then the police turn to become kan cheong and they started investigations. Thankfully, no real kidnaps were found so far. What the police found were instead 5 retards spreading kidnap rumours!
To me, spreading of kidnap rumours of young children is as vicious and disturbing as spreading bomb hoaxes. Both cause the public to be kan cheong and panic. We become suspicious of anything, our lifestyle is undermined by anything, and we live in fear of everything. All because some stupid losers want to spread rumours. With Good Friday around the corner and its inspiration of state crime and punishment, I beg the police to crucify these rumour spreaders instigating public fear with their reckless actions.
However, seriously, who is to blame? Stupid assholes who spread rumours in the internet, or stupid people who soak in such rumours circulating in the internet. We ignored scam chain emails, or at least most of us do, but yet some of us want to believe in unverified kidnap rumours! Maybe most of us are vulnerable to these kidnap rumours as it is not unbelievable and it preys on our fears of lost children/siblings when parents look the other way in the crowded suburban mall or the MRT station.
Hence, all the more since these rumour spreaders knew which buttons to press in their little fear factor game out of stupid fun, let the police who did a good job so far of quashing the rumours, next go all the way out to punish them. Let it be a punitive deterrence. Off with their heads!
Spreading false kidnapping information: 5 assisting police in investigations
Five people have been called in by the police to assist in investigations regarding the posting of false information on children being abducted and kidnapped via online channels and text messages.
According to a Singapore Police Force (SPF) statement released on Monday, there has been no reported case in which a child was abducted or kidnapped.
The statement comes on the back of several recent online posts alleging that children have been taken away by strangers.
The police had also posted on its Facebook wall last Saturday that the posts circulating online were investigated and found to be untrue.
Seven police reports were investigated between 19 March and 31 March, and established that they were not related, said SPF.
In addition, there was no evidence to suggest criminal intent behind any of these encounters.
The SPF said that sharing tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of crime reflected “good community spirit and is strongly encouraged”.
“However, circulating false information is not only irresponsible, it is an offence. It will not only slow down and hinder police investigation into true reports and offences but worst still, generate unnecessary public alarm, causing fear and panic in the community,” said SPF.
Under Singapore law, the transmission of false messages is an office under Section 45 of the Telecommunications Act.
If the act is done with intent to create cause fear and alarm, or to incite offences against a class or community of persons, it may also be an offence under Section 505 of the Penal Code. Offenders may be punished with imprisonment for up to 3 years, fined or both.
No comments:
Post a Comment