KOTA KINABALU: Police have debunked a 13-year-old girl's claim that she was kidnapped and later managed to escape her captors.
Kota Kinabalu district police chief, Assistant Commissioner Kasim Muda said their investigations revealed that the teenager made up the story to avoid going to religious classes.
Claims about the girl's purported kidnapping went viral on social media. According to the claims, the girl was kidnapped by suspects in a white van near Kampung Tanjung Aru Baru before managing to escape.
"She was afraid of being scolded by the complainant (her mother) because she did not want to attend classes," Kasim said in a statement.
Kasim said at the time of the girl's supposed abduction, she was walking around a shopping mall for a long time and a security guard noticed her presence.
The girl was returned to her parents and was let off with a warning.
Kasim urged teenagers against fabricating stories of crimes as it could cause panic. He also said it was an offence to lodge a false report.
"It (false reports) are also a waste of our time and resources."