School students in Toorak area warned to stay vigilant after recent attempted abductions

School students in some of Melbourne’s most prestigious suburbs are being warned to travel in groups following two attempted child abductions.

Two potential abduction attempts have raised concerns about the safety of school children in one of the most prestigious areas of Melbourne.

Students from St Catherine’s School in Toorak have been told to always travel in groups following two incidents involving adults approaching students and asking them to get into their vehicles.

The first incident involved a local primary school student who was approached by a driver in a car as they were walking home after school. The student refused to get into the car and arrived home safely.

The second incident involved a St Catherine’s student who was waiting at the tram stop after school this week on the corner of Toorak and Glenferrie roads.

A driver tried to abduct a St Catherine’s student. Picture: Supplied

Interim principal Robert Marshall told parents that the “driver signalled for her to get into the car and pointed at the front seat”. But the student “refused to get into the vehicle”.

Both incidents have been reported to police who are investigating and will increase patrols in the area.

Mr Marshall said staff from the school, located on Heyington Place, “have spoken to students on safety and being vigilant when catching public transport and walking to and from school and always to travel in groups”.

“We ask parents to talk to your daughter about safely travelling to and from school,” he said.

“Please report any incidents to police on triple-0.”

A spokesman for the school said “police were informed and are conducting their investigations”.

One of the attempted kidnaps was at a tram stop. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Sharon Wildermuth, acting principal at nearby Toorak Primary School, reminded children this week about the need to stay safe when travelling to and from school.

“Some tips for parents are, to make sure children walk in groups, stay on the main walking paths, walk home at the same time as other school families (straight after school) discuss where other families live on the walk home if they are ever needed, come to school at around the same time as others and utilise our TheirCare/Out of home School care if an early start or late finish is required,” she wrote in the latest newsletter.

The incident comes almost a year after Glen Eira College student Benjamin Phikhohpoom was left with life-altering injuries after he was dragged into a stolen car and flung to the ground at high speed in an alleged attempted abduction.

The now year 10 student was walking home from school when a trio of children allegedly pulled him into the vehicle in September last year.

Benjamin Phikhohpoom was left with life-altering injuries after he was dragged into a stolen car and flung to the ground at high speed in an alleged attempted abduction. Picture: David Caird

Benjamin was left in an induced coma for six days and spent a number of weeks in the Royal Children’s Hospital, and now suffers from permanent brain damage, double vision and amnesia.

Two months later in November, a year nine student was also the victim of a “terrifying” alleged abduction attempt while walking with her classmates at Melbourne’s Hosier Lane.

A 37-year-old man from Thornbury and a woman approached the group of school children at 10.30am on November 15, before the man allegedly tried to drag one of the girl’s through the laneway.

A male bystander intervened by pretending to be the girl’s teacher and helped the 14-year-old girl get away.

More recently in March, two boys, aged 14 and five, were also approached by an unknown man while walking along Eldridge St in Footscray.

Investigators were told the man allegedly tried to pick up the five-year-old before punching the older boy in the face, knocking him to the ground.

A nearby neighbour saw the incident unfold and yelled out to the man to put the child down. The man freed the boy and fled to a nearby street.