The unfounded news and the useless manhunt with Volvo's “child lure in Varese”

A message begins to circulate insistently on social networks. Little by little, more and more details are being added about the individual accused of hiding in front of schools in the lower province of Varese to attract children. The mustache, the baldness, the Volvo. And finally, a photo. But the man told the police and the press that the matter did not concern him and that he did not know where it came from. Finally, the police speak of “an abnormal use of unfounded information”.

For those in a hurry:

  • A message is circulating that a “little bald and mustachioed man” driving a Volvo was wandering around the province of Varese to lure children out of primary and secondary schools.
  • The message is accompanied by a photo.
  • Anyone who reads it is urged to exercise caution and contact police.
  • The man in the photo said he had nothing to do with the matter.
  • The local police of one of the municipalities involved reported “an abnormal use of unfounded information”.

Analyzes

Let's see a screenshot of one of the messages being checked (here's another one). In the description we don't read anything, but in the photo the writing appears:

Maximum Attention: YOUNG URGENT COMMUNICATION: A SMALL AND CUTE MAN WITH A MUSTACHE DRIVES A VOLVO ATTRACTING CHILDREN OUTSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES ALREADY SPOTTED IN GORLA MAGGIORE CAIRATE AND TRADATE. They asked me to direct it. Please contact the Carabinieri di Tradate if you see it. Thank you a lot. ROTATION! Yesterday also seen in Castellanza!

I asked the guys where to eat

The photos would have been used to identify the man, but when he saw them, he recognized himself and immediately denied the accusations against him, relying on News Varese: “It's me in this photo. I don't know how or why it was transmitted this way but I have already contacted the police to file a complaint.” In the article, the man explains that he went to Gorla Minore – a town located between Milan and Varese – for “a job interview”. The man explains that he left Friuli, where he returned after the interview, but not before after a stop at a mechanic in the province of Varese. During the trip, the man – the story continues – stopped to ask some children for directions to a place where he could eat a sandwich. The newspaper had also covered the case in previous articles.

The baseless news

In one of them, it is reported that the man was driving a Volvo. Contacted by Openthe editorial team of News Varese confirmed that at this time there are no proceedings or charges against the subject. In fact, on March 7, 2024, the municipality of Marnate published a press release in which it reported that on this subject “there was an abnormal use of unfounded news, but disseminated on social networks with interpretations and assumptions that do not 'were certainly not contained in it. published on the Municipality’s website and with details that cannot be disclosed.” The reference is to a previous press release published on February 28 which has been deleted but of which traces can still be found on Google.

The old declaration

Inside we could read: “For several days, the presence in the surrounding area has been reported of an individual in his fifties, bald, with a goatee and mustache, who drives a white Volvo station wagon, whose behavior causes serious concern of all citizens. We and the Carabinieri are engaged in the search for this individual and ask for the collaboration of all citizens so that in the event of a sighting, they immediately inform the Local Police of Marnate (0331.368215) or the Carabinieri of Gorla Minore (0331.601003). )”.

Conclusions

A message is circulating that a “little bald and mustachioed man” driving a Volvo was wandering around the province of Varese to lure children out of primary and secondary schools. The message is accompanied by a photo. Anyone who reads it is urged to exercise caution and contact police. The man in the photo said he had nothing to do with the matter. The local police of one of the municipalities involved reported “an abnormal use of unfounded information”.

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