Maddington girls 'made up' abduction attempt - The West Australian

as was posted here ... Maddington girls 'made up' abduction attempt - The West Australian

Two 13-year-old school girls falsely claimed they had been the target of an attempted abduction in Maddington on Monday.

A police spokesman said that the girls along with a classmate had truanted from school in the morning to visit friends but had been spotted by a teacher, who ordered them to return and said their parents would be notified.

Soon after, one of the girls was collected by her mother and the two remaining girls made up a story that a man in a dark-coloured car had tried to abduct them near a Maddington park.

Police investigated the matter but when they interviewed the girls it became clear their report was false.

Detective Superintendent Graeme Castlehow said the incident was a reminder of the seriousness of making a false complaint to police.

"Police take all such reports seriously, and investigate them thoroughly, but unfortunately false reports take up valuable police time and resources," he said. "They can also cause unnecessary alarm and fear in the community, which affects all of us."

"While there is naturally a high level of public and media interest in such reports, it is important that investigators first determine if they are legitimate, as often they are not substantiated."