The Rene Roman Search and Rescue Team held a safety awareness campaign in Lavender Hill on Sunday.
Hundreds of children were invited to the #1Child2Many event held in St. Montague
Village, to educate them about child safety, following a spike in rapes and murders of children on the Cape Flats last year.
The group was established after the death of 13-year-old Rene-Tracy Roman in March last year. The child
disappeared after she went to a nearby shop.
Neighbour Andrew Plaatjies, 51, was arrested after her body was found 10 days later in a Wendy house in his backyard.
He is back in the Western Cape High Court on Friday for pre-trial proceedings.
On Sunday the kids had fun playing on jumping castles, pony rides, face painting, cricket, soccer, kennetjie and other recreational activities.
Chairperson for the Rene Roman Search and Rescue Team, Zaida Samuels, says the aim of the campaign is to show the world that they’ve had enough of violence against children, but also to show
parents that they need to take responsibility for their children’s safety.
“Our aim is to raise awareness, and protect our angels. Parents need to be accountable for their children, because there have been #1CHILD2MANY that’s been murdered, raped and left to die,” Zaida explains.
Children were taught about personal safety and stranger danger, and also given emergency numbers they could call if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable by a stranger, relative or someone known to them.
They were also made to understand that a ‘bad guy’ is not always a stranger but could be someone known or related to them.