Social environment - Aiming to Educate and Assist: Missing Children's Day
Approximately 200 children under 13 are currently considered missing in Lower Saxony, as reported by the State Office of Criminal Investigation on the eve of National Missing Children's Day this weekend. One particularly noteworthy case is that of a six-year-old autistic boy from Bremervörde named Arian, who has been missing since April 22. For almost a week, multiple emergency services and volunteers have conducted relentless searches both on land, in water, and from the air, but have so far been unsuccessful. Searches for Arian are no longer conducted every day, but the police still frequently launch operations.
The majority of missing children are found quickly. A spokesperson for the State Office of Criminal Investigation revealed that most individuals who go missing are discovered within a few hours, sometimes even at home. For young people and adults, it usually takes between one and three days for them to reappear or be apprehended.
Approximately 470 young people aged 17 and under are currently missing in Lower Saxony. The police reported that more males than females go missing in both age groups. The spokesperson stated that many youths leave their familiar surroundings due to a sense of adventure or family conflict. There were about 1,380 people officially registered as missing under the age of 18 as of May 22, 2024.
The police offer parents advice on what to do if their child goes missing. Parents can start by calling their child's friends and other parents to check if the missing child is with them. The State Office of Criminal Investigation advises parents to consider potential contacts from the digital world such as social media. They should report the information to the police, including details of the child's clothing, last known location, photos, and any items the child may have brought with them. The police generally view missing minors as being at risk as soon as their whereabouts are unknown.
The police share missing person information across Germany. When a person goes missing and a search begins, the Central Missing Persons Unit of the State Office of Criminal Investigation receives a notification, ensuring that all necessary police stations throughout the country are informed of the search.
On Missing Children's Day, an annual event held on May 25, the Missing Children Initiative from Hamburg advocates for increased efforts to prevent children from going missing and creates awareness about the issue. The organization assists parents and family members of missing children and pushes for better police work in missing children cases. They aim to ensure that no child goes missing and that the public plays an active role in helping find missing children. The association manages the Europe-wide standardized hotline for missing children under the number 116000 in Germany.
Tips from the police for parents of a missing child:
- Call the child's friends and other parents to find out if they know where the missing child is.
- Consider potential contacts from the digital world such as social media.
- Inform the police with details of the child's clothing, last known location, photos, and any items they have taken with them.
- Missing minors are assumed to be at risk as soon as their whereabouts are unknown.
Information on missing persons is shared nationwide through the Central Missing Persons Unit of the State Office of Criminal Investigation in Lower Saxony.
A call for advancement in police work for missing children cases:
The Missing Children Initiative from Hamburg urges for continuous improvement in police work for missing children and calls for more efficient use of the Cell Broadcast mobile phone alarm system in life-threatening situations. The association manages the European-standardized hotline for missing children under the number 116000 in Germany.
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Source: www.stern.de
