Victoria police is disappointed with a story printed in last weekend's Sunday Herald Sun about an alleged attempted abduction that occurred in Brighton on Friday. (Kidnap Sketch Appeal - SHS 20/12/09).

It's important for the community to know that the face sketch that featured in the article was not done with police consent.

The media plays a vital role informing the community of crimes and helping the police catch criminals. We're enormously grateful for their assistance, but would remind them that taking matters into their own hands can often seriously undermine a police investigation and potentially contribute towards a miscarriage of justice.

Police are still appealing for a man to come forward after the incident on Friday. Investigators are still trying to ascertain whether this was an attempted abduction or whether this man was trying to help the child to locate her parents. In line with the processes of proper investigation an authorised police photo fit will be released early this week.

The investigation is continuing and we are working with witnesses to determine the identity of this man.

Regards
Detective Sergeant Gary Windhager
Brighton Crime Investigation Unit

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