Do gypsies steal children?
It’s a myth. People always make up horrific stories about their ‘enemies’, in order to propagate hatred, fear and loathing. During WW2, everyone in the UK thought the Germans killed / raped / ate babies. All the Germans thought the Russians (and probably the British too) did the same. It’s also a parliamentary propaganda tool, they certainly don’t try to do anything to expel the myths anyway. When people are frightened of Gypsies / Germans / Communism / asylum seekers / hoodies / whoever, this cements social cohesion against the ‘foe’. People would have probably made this rubbish up about the Romany to use as an effective child-control tool. For example: “Don’t wander off too far or the Gypsies will get you.” Of course the child obeyed, thus the fairy story entered into folk-lore.
