Mugging (1st March - Dulwich Park)

[slater]

My son was mugged for his phone (Christmas present) at about 3.15pm today.

He was walking between Queen Mary's Gate and the pond in Dulwich Park.

Thanks to the woman with a baby in a buggy who called the police unfortunately

the rats had gone to ground.

The robbers were two tall Asian males, about 16 years old, grey woollen hats, black coats and track suit bottoms.

Quite a few other kids saw them. If you saw them hanging around the playground, cafe, pond or gate area

around 3 > 3.15pm give Southwark police a call on 0300 123 1212.

[anapau]

That's really terrible! and at 3.15, in a park! Hope your son's okay.

[For Rent]

Unbelievable.

Might be worth having a few cameras installed at the exits to the park

[eucalyptus]

that's terrible - i can't believe a crime like that in the daytime in an area like this and in the gorgeous park!!

[Keef]

An area with 7 threads on the front page of it's local forum, about muggings or other crime?

Really sorry to hear about your son, and hope he's well.

[Jeremy]

Poor chap, hope he's OK.

[The Minkey]

What a rotten thing to happen. Hope he isn't too shaken up :-(

[kford]

For Rent Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Unbelievable.

>

> Might be worth having a few cameras installed at

> the exits to the park

Or better still, the occasional policeman.

[roblay]

Eucalyptus, what do you mean by an 'area like this'? Dulwich doesn't have a big fence around it that stops bad people coming in. We are surrounded by areas of high crime and deprivation - that's always been the case and unfortunately always will be. Dulwich is not some utopia where nothing bad happens.

[cab]

I live near Dulwich Park and was the mugging victim on Glengarry Road. As Roblay says, we live in an oasis surrounded by areas of deprivation, boredom and lack of drive to work in order to buy iphones rather than nick them! It's South London and a fact of life that we are surrounded by people who have been failed by society. I am more understanding about that than I am about the fact that someone frightened me and physically attacked me just for a poxy piece of plastic!

[Jeremy]

cab, your mugging must have been a terrible experience, but come on... "an oasis surrounded by areas of deprivation"? Surely you're exaggerating the difference between ED and its neighbours somewhat. And let's not kid ourselves that muggers and burglars cannot possibly live in Dulwich.

[spotify]

A great pity our judiciary is a such toothless, outmoded, unreliable, monolithic creature,

as rarely does the victim feel justice has been done.

[Debi]

I understand this also happened to several other children in the park at about the same time - these 2 males and 4 others operating at the same time in a different group. The police were called and I've just been told (by one of the victims) that one of them was caught shortly afterwards in Dulwich Village.

[DJKillaQueen]

It's worth going to your next SNT ward panel meeting on this. Young people stealing from young people is it's own problem (and prevalent all over London irregardless of area). There have been problems with this type of crime in Peckham Rye Park. The SNT team have been focussing on this for several months now with good levels of success. The SNT team for Dulwich might need to do the same.

The other thing of course (and this in no way excuses the muggers) is to not buy expensive phones for your children...or if you do, also buy them a cheap one for taking to school. After all, there is no reason for taking a phone to school other than to make or recieve a call if necessary...and any old mobile phone will do that.

[jimmyay]

There does seem to be a spate of muggings at the moment in the area. It is disgusting, and whilst it is always advisable in a big city like London for people not to flash expensive equipment around, it says a lot about the state of our country that such violent robberies ( which is what they are) are becoming so common place. Sad.

[celiasmith]

A few months ago, my son aged 15 was in Dulwich Park and he was approached by 2 boys who basically ordered him to hand over his phone. He told them to **** off and went into the cafe and called me. I was as you can imagine very worried and my heart went thru my mouth and I told him that he shouldnt have done that.

This wasnt the 1st time he has been a near victim of mugging. As much as I am proud of him standing up to these low life scumbags, I would much prefer he didnt as have told him he has been lucky so far and come out of it unscathed - but seriously worried there may come a time that they show a knife and use it.

You wont ever stop this happening as if the police catch them they cannot and do not do much about it. Therefore my advice is teach your kids to be aware of whats around them - tell them not to walk thru a park alone, no matter what time of day it is. Its clearly not safe. They should walk with their mates. I also think its not a good idea to buy them the latest flash new mobile as this makes them a target. I have explained this to my son and told him that its not that I want to deny him, I just dont think his safely and his life are worth it. I also tell my son to try and not advertise his phone in public - however as he uses it mostly to listen to (terrible) music, thats not really feasible.

My son told me that he spotted these 2 again on his way out and they were watching younger kids coming into the park and following them.

[Chick]

It's South London and a fact of life that we are surrounded by people who have been failed by society.

Failed by society? Lots of people have been failed by society but don?t turn into muggers. They are just scum who will grow up to become wife beaters. My son still has a detached retina from being kicked unconscious by people who were ?failed by society?. I wouldn?t pee on them if they were on fire unless I could pee petrol.

[Sheepdog]

I agree with both the above. The police won't do anything. Judges and local councillors will just bury their heads in their Guardians. Its left to the rest to make sure these people are made aware of their residual worth and that they don;t forget it in a hurry..

[Narnia]

What is society? We are all individuals. If you ever work out how to do that Chick,can I buy shares in you?

[mockney piers]

"We are all individuals"

I'm not.

[Ridgley]

MP wrote

"We are all individuals"

I'm not.

Then what would you call yourself?

[cab]

Sorry my comments have offended. I have a right to assert my opinion. And I know that my mugger probably doesn't live in Dulwich because he discarded half my handbag at the top of Greendale by Denmark Hill. I think as someone who knows what it's like to be viciously attacked rather than just joining a forum thread I have a right to say what I think without being shouted down. Anyway, let's hope we catch these people so that I am no longer scared to be out of my house at night.

[Jeremy]

I don't think anyone's trying to shout you down, cab. Just because somebody doesn't agree with you, it doesn't mean they don't think your opinions are valid.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Ridgely. Are you really telling us you haven't seen the life of Brian?

[Ridgley]

No SMG I have never seen it, not a monty python fan