Search for missing children in Greece
LOST
“Learning Opportunities, Instruments and Investigation Techniques to Combat the Growing Phenomenon of MISSING PEOPLE in Europe “
The disappearance of people, unfortunately, is not a new phenomenon. Nevertheless, the increasing tendencies have created strong concerns both at european and national level. The conditions are changing rapidly, and the solution to these problems is becoming more and more important.
LOST, is a two-year European Project that is run by eight partners, including p-consulting, aims at addressing people’s disappearances. At the same time, it will also promote the training of workers working in similar sectors. The process of searching for missing persons, especially in cases of disappearances of minors, is a complex process that requires method and attention.
According to recent nationwide statistics (2017) of the “The smile of the child” organization, requests for search research support through the “European Line for Missing Children 116000” amounted to one hundred and twenty-eight (128).
The requests concerned:
• 70 (54,5%) missing teenagers
• 15 (12%) in parental abductions
• 38 (29,5%) to worrying disappearances of children
• 5 (4%) disappearance of unaccompanied children
The majority of missing children were boys and girls of Greek nationality, while 28% were children of Albanian, Syrian, Romanian, Kurdish, Afghan, Italian, Egyptian, Cypriot, Bulgarian, Pakistani and Belarusian.
The main reason for the disappearance of children was the problematic relationship with the family or the other sex, and that is the reason why the most common age group of missing children is from the age of 13-18.
The disappearance of children requires special handling and that is why the organization cooperates closely with the relevant bodies and Police Departments of each area.
