250,000 children are reported missing in the European Union every year: the equivalent of A CHILD every TWO MINUTES (European Commission)
Events were held around the world to mark International Missing Children’s Day yesterday (25 May). The day offers an opportunity to raise awareness of young people who have disappeared and also encourages people to think about those who have previously vanished and returned home – and those who have been victims of crime.
UK Home Office Minister Karen Bradley visited the Missing People charity ahead of yesterday’s International Missing Children’s Day and learnt about the Child Rescue Alert System, a crucial tool in helping locate missing people.
The minister met the charity’s Chief Executive Jo Youle and heard from staff how the charity’s helpline provides vital support for missing people and their families.
There was also a demonstration of the Child Rescue Alert System, which is designed to alert the public to an abduction or other high risk child disappearance.
Touring the office, the Minister learnt about plans for this year’s#TheBigTweet, which the Home Office will again be supporting this year. Since last year’s social media campaign, ten of the children and young people featured in #TheBigTweet appeals have been found.
Minister for Preventing Abuse and Exploitation, Karen Bradley, said: “This government recognises that missing children are particularly vulnerable to harm and exploitation, and that they, and their families, deserve the best possible support and protection.
“International Missing Children’s Day is an opportunity to raise vital awareness of these children and young people. I look forward to working closely with Missing People and other partners and am delighted to offer my support to ‘The Big Tweet’. I encourage everyone to get involved.”
Chief Executive of Missing People, Jo Youle, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Minister to Missing People today and to introduce her to the work of the charity within the first fortnight of her new role.
“We discussed priorities for improving services and support for missing people and their families including the need for guardianship legislation to enable families to protect their missing loved one’s finances and property, and the need for better support for children and adults who return from being missing.
“I really look forward to working closely with the Minister and welcome her keen interest in the work of the charity and the needs of vulnerable missing people and their families.”
Sign up to receive Child Rescue Alerts. For more information about#TheBigTweet visit www.missingpeople.org.uk
MISSING CHILDREN: Facts and Figures
- 250,000 children are reported missing in the European Union every year, the equivalent of around 1 child every 2 minutes (European Commission)
- Missing children include several categories of child disappearances, including parental abductions, runaways*, missing unaccompanied migrant minors and criminal abductions
- Two to five percent of missing children cases reported involve third party criminal abductions (Missing Children Europe Annual Report 2014)
- Runaways make up 50% of missing children cases reported through hot-lines (Missing Children Europe Annual Report 2014)
- 1 in 6 runaways are assumed to sleep rough, 1 in 8 resort to stealing to survive and 1 in 12 children are at serious risk of some form of abuse (The Children’s Society)
- It’s estimated that around 140,000 cases of missing children are reported annually in the UK, the equivalent of around 380 per day (missingchildreneurope.eu)
- Missing Children Europe’s Belgian member “Child Focus” opens an average of 4 new cases a day
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