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31 girls
and 10 boys went missing last year |
SOS-Criança has signalled 41 missing children [in Portugal] in
2010. Most of them ran away from home, but there were also parental
abductions and flights from institutions. Some went missing for less
than two days, others for over a year.
A report
from SOS-Criança, an organization that was created in 1989 by the Child
Support Institute (Instituto de Apoio à Criança) reveals that most of
the children that disappeared last year had run away from home (25), but
there were also 10 cases that were parental abductions and another six
situations where the children fled from the institutions where they were
staying. Ten children were missing for less than two days and another
seven for less than one week.
The report further indicates that in five cases, the child managed to
remain out of contact for one to two weeks, and three children
disappeared for two to three weeks. Three minors ran away for three to
four weeks and another two remained unaccounted for a period over one
month. In three cases, the minors disappeared for over half a year, and
in four cases, for over nine months. The report further indicates that
three minors remained missing for over one year.
Most of these children had someone "waiting for them": 12 were with a
parent, 16 with companions or friends and five with their siblings.
Fifteen minors ended up returning "home" on their own, while in six
situations it was the family or police (six times) that cleared the
case. "Two children did not want to return home/to the institution, and
nine have an open process", the report mentions, indicating that 12 of
the "missing" were repeat situations.
Concerning parental abductions, in 13 cases the parents were still
married, eight were divorced, six were separated, and there were also
two cases of people living together or single. The civil situation of
the parents of nine missing children remains unknown until now.
Family conflicts are the most
common motive for runaways
Family conflicts were the main motive for running away, followed by the
internet and the influence of friends. "Domestic violence was
responsible for four disappearances and abuse was responsible in three
cases". The report further points out cases of psychiatric illness,
neglect, behavioural problems, dating and even the story of a minor who
ran away to attend a concert.
Last year, 31 girls and 10 boys disappeared, and most of the cases take
place near the weekend: 11 on a Friday, seven on a Thursday and another
five cases on a Monday. As far as ages are concerned, there is no
pattern: last year, two children aged two and six children aged three,
five, six, seven, ten and eleven, but also five 16-year-olds and four
17-year-olds.
Most of them lived in Lisbon (11). In Évora and Bragança, four minor
went missing in each of the regions. Setúbal, Braga, Coimbra, Faro,
Leiria, Viseu, Santarém and Aveiro also registered cases.
In most of the situations, the alert was given by the family, but there
were also eleven flights that were denounced by the community, and seven
by professionals from institutions that are related to children. In two
cases, the "fugitives" themselves contacted the SOS-Missing Child
services.
Eight denunciations arrived at the SOS services by e-mail, while the
other 33 arrived by phone, the report reveals, further indicating that
the Missing Children Service has already signalled 318 cases over the
years. Last year, there were 41 cases, half of what was registered in
2009, when the services signalled 88 missing children. |
