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Missing school girl found safe in France

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Published Date: 21 January 2009
A schoolgirl who went missing with a 49-year-old man she met on the internet has been found safe and well in France.
Laura Stainforth, 15, from School Walk, Cleethorpes, north east Lincolnshire, was found with Robert Williams in Lille.
Williams was arrested at the scene by French police officers and has been taken in custody.

Humberside Police said the arrest w
as made after Williams and Laura attended the consulate in Lille.

Local French police officers attended and arrested Williams at the scene before taking him into custody, a spokeswoman for Humberside Police said.

Officers from Humberside Police are currently en route to France to bring Laura back into the country.

Detective Chief Inspector Sharon Fielding said: "It goes without saying, I am delighted that Laura has been found in Lille and we are now working alongside French authorities and Laura's family to ensure that she arrives back in the country as soon as possible and returns to her family.

"There is still a lot of work to be done, however, and we are working to ensure the extradition of Williams.

"I would like to thanks all of the members of public who assisted by reporting numerous sightings of Laura – one of which led us to locating

Laura in Lille – and would also like to thank the local, national and European media for their help in facilitating our appeals."




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  • Last Updated: 21 January 2009 2:19 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Internet chatrooms
 
1

Benjamin,

Dresden 21/01/2009 16:45:03
My question, as a parent, would be, how would one control this sort of teenager, assuming she went willingly with her kidnapper? She may simply do this again, and again, and again. Teens with a penchant for "running away", speaking from personal experience, cannot be simply put under a thumb by parents.
2

r1niceboy,

Nebraska 21/01/2009 20:03:24
I'll get jumped on for this, but I'll say it anyway. She's old enough to make her own decisions. In less than a year he wouldn't be breaking the law, but at the moment he is. It's a big grey area. If it were my daughter, though, I readily admit that the man in question would be currently digesting in a pack of stray dog's stomachs.

#1 is right though. You can't lock teenagers up, even the neds.
3

Tris,

21/01/2009 22:39:03
In fairness to the man she went away with, she did look a lot older than 15. She may have lied about her age. Also, it seems that they went directly to France where the age of consent is 15. It may be that no crime was committed. It isn't illegal for a 50 year old man and a 15 year old girl to be friends in Britain.... at least not yet.

My question would be: why did she want to run away with this guy? I mean he wasn't a Matt Damon or Kaka look alike was he? Why was she so miserable at home that running away with an overweight, bald man, 35 years older than her seemed like a good option to her?

I think that parents really have to be a little more aware of what their kids are doing in their bedrooms. I know it's hard, and I know that teenagers can be a real pain, but.... that's the job.



4

carrottop,

22/01/2009 09:43:50
Attention seeker without a care for the feelings of her parents. Shouldnt think she will fly back with Virgin.

 

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