Parents ‘forced to search for missing children themselves’ amid …

Parents of missing children in London have reportedly had to resort to trying to find them on their own without police[1] help as families and carers face frustrating delays when reporting a missing child in London. A report has found that loved ones also sometimes received “inaccurate information” from call handlers. Research from the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee also found that “low trust and confidence in the Metropolitan Police[2] Service may make parents and carers reluctant to report children missing and for them to search for their children themselves”.

In 2022-23, 9,370 children went missing in London. Many went missing more than once, resulting in 29,455 separate missing incidents recorded by the Met Police. 29,455 separate missing children incidents were recorded by the Met Police in 2022-23 (Image: James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)

But charity Missing People has said that the true number of missing children is probably much higher, as up to two in three missing incidents are not reported to the police.

A spokesperson for the committee said: “Every incident of a missing child requires a full safeguarding response, but an investigation by the Committee has found that this is not always being delivered. “Children are missing if their whereabouts cannot be established and the circumstances are out of character, or the context suggests they may be subject of crime or at risk of harm to themselves or another “The investigation found that 17-year-olds are the most likely to go missing, following by 16 and 15-year-olds.

However, the Committee heard that the average age of children going missing is decreasing and that younger children are being increasingly affected by exploitation. “Children most at risk of going missing are those who have experienced significant instability or challenges in their lives, such as conflict, abuse or neglect at home, while the cost-of-living crisis has made poor children vulnerable to missing incidents and exploitation.”

Chair of the Police and Crime committee, Susan Hall AM, has criticised the Met’s performance with regards to cases of missing people (Image: London Assembly)

Chairman of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, Susan Hall AM, calls the findings “unacceptable”. She said: “Children who go missing from home or care are exposed to the most appalling harms, including gangs, sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking.

“A child going missing is understandably a hugely distressing time for families and carers. Adding delays and inaccurate information from the police to that anguish is unacceptable. We also have concerns that when a child returns home after a missing incident, opportunities to understand what has happened and to prevent anything like it happening again are being missed.

“The issue of missing children is all our responsibility. We hope that the recommendations in our report are taken forward to better prevent children from going missing and find and protect those that do.” Responding to the findings, Kevin Southworth, the Met’s Public Protection Commander, insists missing person enquiries remain a top priority for the force.

He said: “The investigation of missing children is treated with the utmost seriousness and we have teams in every local policing area dedicated to the task of locating people who go missing. “Strengthening Public Protection is a key commitment of the Met’s Turnaround Plan and as part of this programme of work we are actively developing our approach to Missing Persons. This report and its recommendations will help inform this vital work going forward.

“The safety and wellbeing of children from all London’s communities remains an absolute priority for the Met and the PCC’s report into missing children is welcomed. “Investigating missing person reports is a complex area of policing and we recognise the distress such incidents cause the family and friends of the person involved. When a child or young person goes missing it is clear that we, alongside key partners must recognise risk and vulnerability and prioritise our response consistently and accurately.

“Parents and carers must have trust and confidence in the Met to locate and safeguard our young people, and the onus is on us as a police service to earn that trust. “We recognise all of the issues raised in this report and will continue to work with the Mayor and MOPAC to address the recommendations; all of which are informed by valued partners.”

The Mayor’s office says Sadiq Khan is working closely with Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to rebuild trust (Image: PA)

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Keeping children and young people safe is a top priority for the Mayor. It’s crucial we tackle the root causes of why children go missing and that’s why the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit is working to provide support networks for parents and carers in almost every borough, and investing in programmes to keep young people in school and funding youth work and mentors to provide children with that important stable, trusted adult relationship.

“Alongside that, the Mayor is working closely with the Met Commissioner to rebuild trust, improve the Met’s performance and enhance their response to Londoners, including reports of missing children. He is investing nearly GBP12m in a new Leadership Academy for all Met leaders to raise standards and supervision and providing GBP2.5m to improve the service that Londoners who call the police receive when they need it most.” Want more news from MyLondon?

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References

1. ^ police (www.mylondon.news)
2. ^ Metropolitan Police (www.mylondon.news)
3. ^ Met launches investigation amid claim that officer ‘put knee on schoolboy’s neck’ during arrest (www.mylondon.news)
4. ^ here (www.mylondon.news)