Timely release of information nips rumors in the bud

ON OCT 2, three women violently snatched an 11-month-old baby from her mother in a shopping mall in Fengtai district, Beijing. They were stopped by people in the mall and the police detained the three suspects for three days, without submitting them for criminal charges. People’s Daily comments:

The woman whose baby the women tried to snatch complained online that the penalty the women received was too light, and called for judicial punishments for them, instead of the simple public security penalty of detainment.

On Oct 6, the Beijing police responded, saying the three women had committed the deed on the orders of a 62-year-old, whose daughter-in-law refused to let her see her grandson. She asked her three “friends” to bring her grandson to her, but they snatched the wrong baby.

The 62-year-old woman was exempted from detainment because she has serious health problems.

The police statement has clarified what happened and eliminated people’s fears of a professional gang kidnapping children. Via its quick actions and response, they have stopped rumors from spreading.

The case is rather sensitive because losing a child is an unbearable loss for any family, and the public is right in calling for details. However, before the police released their statement, there were quite a few wild suggestions about the four women being part of an organized gang of child snatchers.

Before the truth of an incident is revealed, what the public should do is to give the police ample time to conduct a thorough investigation.

Of course, the police also have to release information in a timely manner, so as to prevent rumors from spreading. Transparency creates trust — That applies especially to departments such as the police.