Rochdale, September 18, 2023
Sergejus Paskevicius, a 61-year-old resident of Orchard Street, Heywood, has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison by Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday, September 15, 2023.
He was found guilty of attempting to abduct a child from a supermarket in Rochdale.
The Incident
Greater Manchester Police were alerted to an attempted child abduction around 6 p.m. on July 23, 2022, at an Aldi supermarket on Bradshaw Street in Heywood.
An immediate investigation was launched, culminating in the arrest of Paskevicius, who was charged with kidnapping after comprehensive CCTV footage confirmed the incident.
Shocking Details
The event unfolded when the mother was on a shopping trip with her two children.
While she was queuing to pay at the till, Paskevicius was being served in front of her.
After completing his purchase, he packed his bag at the shop’s front window.
The mother instructed her children to wait near the front of the store as she returned to the cashier.
In a terrifying turn of events, Paskevicius engaged her children in conversation and lifted her youngest child against his chest.
The eldest child heroically attempted to free his sibling from Paskevicius’ grasp.
The Aftermath
The eldest child succeeded in rescuing his younger sibling and returned to his mother, both appearing shocked and confused.
Paskevicius, in a cowardly act, exited the store as though nothing had transpired.
He was subsequently identified from a social media appeal and arrested on suspicion of kidnapping.
During a search of Paskevicius’s residence, authorities found clothing that matched his attire at the time of the attempted abduction, further substantiating the charges against him.
Detective Sergeant Andrew Whitehill of GMP’s Rochdale district said;
“Paskevicius was a danger to society for his shocking actions. Thankfully, his intentions didn’t result in anything more serious than a sinister move to abduct a child from their parent.
“It is arguably every parent’s worst nightmare, and thanks to the quick actions of everyone involved, including the local public, we were able to arrest the person responsible.
“He will spend further time behind bars now to reflect on his actions and as officers we will always treat this type of incident with the attention and seriousness it deserves.
“I would like to reassure the community that we have dedicated neighbourhood officers and subsequent patrols that do cover the Heywood area and I would urge members to speak to them direct if they have any concerns going forwards, this can be done direct through’s the force’s community messaging system Bee In The Loop.”
Final Remarks
This harrowing incident serves as a sobering reminder of the perpetual need for vigilance and community cooperation in ensuring public safety.
With the court’s ruling, justice has been served, but the experience leaves an indelible scar on the family and raises concerns over child safety measures in public spaces.
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Re the attempted abduction story – great work by the Police, public and everyone else involved
Unfortunately totally let down by the Courts and the Criminal Justice System. This piece of scum should have been jailed for at least 8 years or more. As it is, he will probably only serve 18 months or less! What a deterrent (not)!
Is he a British citizen? If not, deport him, preferably before he serves his sentence at vast public expense.
The focus on jail is all wrong. It should be viewed primarily as means of keeping dangerous people off the streets. If they can be rehabilitated, all well and good and every reasonable effort should be made so to do. Ultimately though, dangerous predators must be kept out of circulation.
If this man, who at 61 is arguably beyond redemption, is not a UK citizen, he should be locked up pending permanent deportation. The danger is now off our streets for good and at a much lower cost to society.