S’porean man mistaken for kidnapper after giving candy to child in Batam, harassed by locals – Mothership.SG

A Singaporean man was almost targeted by a gang in Batam after his attempt at kindness was mistaken for an attempted kidnapping on April 29.

What happened

The man had gone to a convenience store in a residential area in Batu Aji, Batam, according to a newspaper iNews report on May 1.

He then gave some of his candy to a child playing nearby after leaving the store.

A local resident spotted the Singaporean and accused him of trying to kidnap the child.

Hearing the commotion, more and more locals began crowding around the man in an increasingly hostile manner.

Officers from a passing police patrol car then stepped in to remove the Singaporean from the crowd.

Because the Singaporean did not speak Bahasa Indonesia, he had difficulty explaining things at the police station.

However, police have not found any reason to suspect an attempted kidnapping as claimed by locals.

Suspicion due to unusual gestures

The community most likely became suspicious because the Singaporean’s gestures were not common in the area, an officer said.

The officer also said the Singaporean had been deported to remove him from the hostile situation.

Top image via TribunbatamID/YouTube