Missing girl found in US by using hand signal viral on TikTok
NORTH CAROLINA: A missing girl in the United States has been found using the help sign which went viral on TikTok.
The girl had been reported missing by her parents on Tuesday, after two days she was spotted inside a car in Kentucky. The 16-year-old girl used the sign designed for the help of domestic abuse victims.
A 61-year-old person was arrested after a driver had noticed an unusual hand gesture girl used in a car while traveling on road. Later, the man followed the car and noted that the girl appeared to be in distress and was being driven by an older male.
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Moreover, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, “a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures that are known on the social media platform TikTok to represent violence at home – I need help – domestic violence” said by the driver who noticed the sign called them. Police had arrested James Herbert Brick, of Cherokee, North Carolina.
However, the hand gesture girl used is a one-handed sign someone can use when in distress, according to the Canadian Women’s Foundation. The victim holds up their hand with their palm facing out, then tucks their thumb into their hand before closing their fingers on top of the thumb.
This campaign was spread across social media in 2020, after a rise in domestic violence was seen across the state. The idea was a way for domestic abuse victims to seek help using a non-verbal cue.
Meanwhile, this campaign got momentum in the UK also after the incident of Sarah Everard which raised questions on women’s safety.
