Children Falling Through Gaps in Missing Persons Crisis
A vulnerable child was groomed by a county lines drug trafficking gang after authorities failed to act for ten days following his family's report that he was missing, a leading charity has revealed. Missing People, the UK's only charity dedicated to reuniting missing individuals with their families, disclosed that the boy continued to be targeted even after being found and returned home, leading to repeated disappearances.
Josie Allan, head of policy and partnerships at the charity, told The Independent: "Risks were missed early on that later escalated, and his family felt like their concerns hadn't been taken seriously enough when they first spoke to the police."
Systemic Failures Putting Children at Risk
The charity shared this disturbing case as it warned that children who disappear are routinely falling through gaps in the system. They face heightened risk of exploitation even during brief missing episodes. Missing People attributes this crisis to what it describes as a "deprioritisation" of missing people by both government and police forces, leaving services without adequate resources to respond effectively.
According to National Crime Agency statistics, the scale of the problem is staggering: 160,000 people were reported missing in nearly 330,000 incidents during 2023-2024, including 72,000 children who disappeared in almost 210,000 episodes.
Families Left Feeling Betrayed by System
Ms Allan expressed particular concern about inadequate responses to missing reports: "You hear examples of when parents try to make a report but are told to call back in a few hours." She added that some reports are never formally logged, leaving families under the false impression that searches are underway.
The consequences of these failures can be severe. "It can mean someone has come to more harm," Allan stated. "The impact on families is a real sense of betrayal. You expect the police to help when you contact them. People feel very let down."
One heartbreaking case involves Nerissa Tivy, whose 16-year-old son Alexander Sloley vanished from a friend's house in Islington, north London, in August 2008. She revealed that police took more than two years to provide her with anything beyond a reference number.
"What do you do next?" Ms Tivy asked. "My child's missing and no one's telling me anything. You report your child missing and no one gives a damn. Had they done something earlier, maybe we'd have answers by now."
New Service Offers Hope for Vulnerable Children
The Independent is joining forces with Missing People to launch SafeCall, a new service designed to be a lifeline for struggling children. Co-designed and piloted by young people themselves, SafeCall will offer the support, safety and connection they desperately need.
The campaign aims to raise £165,000 to fund this free service, ensuring that the 70,000 children reported missing each year can find safety regardless of their circumstances. Currently, the charity reaches only one in four of these vulnerable children.
Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller, national policing lead for missing people, defended police approaches: "If a missing person is at risk of any kind of exploitation, police will always prioritise finding them as quickly as possible." However, he acknowledged that "there will always be room for improvement in investigations."
For anyone needing advice or support regarding a missing person, text or call Missing People on 116 000. The service is free, confidential and non-judgemental.
