Muggers (My son was mugged on Dulwich common)

[loobylou]

My son (aged 14), was mugged on his way home from school last night, at about 4. Three boys approached him aged about 17. He gave up his phone and then gave chase. There was a witness who phoned the police and they then drove round looking for the culprits but couldn't find them. The police have been great and so have school but be warned...this happened on the South Circular in broad daylight! He is fine BTW, just shaken.

[sophiesofa]

That's awful, poor thing and I'm glad he's ok. Where did it happen? Thanks for letting us know.

[loobylou]

It happened on Dulwich Common close to the pedestrian crossing before the gate to the park. And many thanks to the lady who called the police, she really helped.

[TillieTrotter]

The little barstewards, glad your son's OK and well done to him for handing it over. I drum this into my boys (one the same age as yours) all the time.

[jimmy two times]

I'm sorry to hear about your son and I'm glad he's ok and not injured. However, I do not see the point of you posting this up. You state that the Police are dealing with it, that there was a witness and that the school has been informed. What are you hoping to achieve by putting this post up?

[Emilia]

Sorry to hear this. This is the second mugging I have heard of taking place by the Dulwich Park gate on Dulwich Common. The other victim was a Dulwich College pupil on his way home at the same time of day; it happened some months ago though.

[TillieTrotter]

Jimmy, it's good for us parents to know so that we can issue a little reminder to our kids to be cautious. I'll certainly be mentioning this to my sons before they go to the park this weekend.

[jimmy two times]

It may also serve to cause unnecessary anxiety to readers and subsequently their offspring. These things happen and no violence was involved.

[TillieTrotter]

It may do Jimmy but then again forewarned and all that.

[lenk]

TillieTrotter Wrote:

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

> Jimmy, it's good for us parents to know so that we

> can issue a little reminder to our kids to be

> cautious. I'll certainly be mentioning this to my

> sons before they go to the park this weekend.

are your kids normally reckless, cash- and mobile-flashing tearaways?

[dv1]

What a ridiculous attitude Jimmy - let's all pretend it didn't happen eh?

This gang have been at this for months and there has been way more than 2 instances. The Dulwich Common / Park Gates location seems to be their favourite place to do it.

And just becuase there was no violence, doesn't mean that this kind of incident doesn't terrorise the kids involved and the more people who know about it the better in my view. At least the kids can chose to take a different route home.

[Emilia]

I echo dv1 and am grateful to loobylou for the warning. I will advise my kids to avoid the park gates on Dulwich Common and to take another route. My children do not carry mobile phones but that does not mean they will not be targeted.

[TillieTrotter]

Obviously Lenk, I brought em up proper.

[cookie]

I'm so tired of seeing these threads go down the same old route.

Can I suggest that any users wishing to discuss the benefit of posting this type of incident on the forum, or the pros/cons of posting perpetrators' descriptions (because it will come up), do so on a separate thread. Then those users who do find this post useful can take a note, and those who wish to debate the more general issues surrounding muggings etc. can debate away without bloating the specific threads.

[TillieTrotter]

Or how about those of us that find them helpful and informative look at the thread and share our thoughts and those that don't just ignore them.

[Jeremy]

Thanks for the info, loobylou and dv1.

[Sherwick]

I'd just like to point out that ther are in fact two Dulwich Park gates on Dulwich Common (not that it really matters I suppose).

[jim_the_chin]

What cookie said.

[redinjun]

what the frick is jimmy two times on ? the whole point of a forum is to highlight things like this - and how exactly is it going to cause unneccessary anxiety ? any anxiety caused would appear to be entirely rational

[lenk]

redinjun Wrote:

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

> what the frick is jimmy two times on ? the whole

> point of a forum is to highlight things like this

> - and how exactly is it going to cause

> unneccessary anxiety ? any anxiety caused would

> appear to be entirely rational

It highlights the existence of muggers in London, that is true.

I'll make sure I'm careful out there.

[*Bob*]

The first time I've ever given more than a moment's thought about getting mugged/robbed/beaten up in London (other than the usual precautions ingrained since the age of about 14) has been in the last few months.

Bearing in mind I now live in the safest area I've ever lived in and that my lifestyle has considerably less risk (eg no leaving dirty squat parties in Brixton at 5am), it's just nonsense to declare that a steady drip of, say, one post per week on here about a mugging or the like doesn't have some kind of effect - because it does, even if common sense tells me otherwise.

Of course people can and should post whatever they want to, just to say that the effect might not always be a helpful one, that's all.

[jim_the_chin]

Anxiety follows an 'inverted u' shape curve on a graph in terms of usefulness - a little is good, a lot is bad.

We do live in a safe borough, which can breed complacency. I didn't think that muggings occurred at rush-hour times on main roads. If the OP had been about someone walking down a quiet road after dark then maybe it wouldn't be so useful.

But it highlights something that not all of us may consider happens in this area, and so it is a reminder that we do live in London and should be a little bit more aware of our safety outside of what we might consider risky times/places.

[minder]

What lowlife scum to do this to a 14 year old. Glad your son is ok but watch him for a while as this could unnerve him for a while even if he seems ok now.

This happened to my 14 year old nephew and his friend a year or so ago in Herne Hill in broad daylight outside the costcutters.

We all need to be made aware of this and I know I still worry when my 16 year old goes out.

[Zaardvark]

Jim

Friends of mine witnessed a mugging at 8.30 am at the bus stop at Dulwich library the other day. My general reading of the forum tells me this is getting more common rather than less at the moment. Furthermore your posts fit into a rather sad type - you said something that you would never have said to the original poster in person.

This may be random noise in the averages but Dulwich village mugging tells you that (a) either the muggers are targeting more vulnerable spots or (b) that the entire locality is vulnerable or © more probably both.

Best

Z

[jimmy two times]

Z yours is an articulate post, but I think you may also predictably be falling into another sad type : Those who have preconceptions about people who post messages on discussion forums.