Missing kids more likely to be found alive than dead

Statistics show it is rare for a missing child to be found dead as most were runaways who were too scared to return home.

Of the 606 reports of missing children in the 2020-21 financial year, the majority had returned home after they “voluntarily disappeared”, the police said.

This has led to the cancellation of 325 missing reports.

“The vast majority of children reported missing disappear and return voluntarily,” said police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili.

“Reasons include misunderstandings in communication, actions parents or guardians do not approve of and the undesirable influence from friends.”

Despite Missing Children SA dealing with more than 60 missing children each month, there was a 77% success rate in finding them, said national coordinator Bianca van Aswegen.

“This is not always due to children being naughty but also abuse that causes them to run away.”

This has worsened since the Covid-19 pandemic, missing children organisation Pink Ladies said, as the closure of schools forced children to remain locked up in abusive homes.

Cofounder and director Jacs Thomas said she had to convince a 15-year-old girl to return home.

“She ran away because she was scared of getting a hiding for doing wrong. She also thought she would be criminally charged for disappearing.”

Runaways were usually aged between 10 and 18 years, but it was of concern that this now included those under 10, said Thomas.

“More children under 10 have landed up in safe situations but are away from their home. They move in with a friend for a day or two as they have not been able to live with what is happening at home.”

A total of 281 children were yet to be found but it was rare to find a missing child dead, said the police’s Muridili.

“But even a fraction of a percentage remains unacceptable as it remains a priority to the Saps to find missing children as soon as possible to prevent harm.

“It is a misconception to assume most children who go missing are victims of crime,” she said.

Other situations include kidnappings and family abductions, or children with disabilities wandering off or getting lost. But Van Aswegen said there were many reasons for a missing child to be found dead.

“We have dealt with murder cases and children who die due to exposure. Children have been found where they have drowned.”

“We have cases where reasons are unknown due to the child not yet being found,” she said.

But some do not want to be found, Thomas said.

“They run away from situations where they don’t want to be found because of abuse happening at home and a lot of violence. Children don’t want to be in that situation and say they are not going back,” she said.

The department of social development then investigates the child’s family circumstances and presents them before the court.

“The recommendation by the social worker can either be that the child be returned home or be admitted through a court order to a child and youth care centre.

During the child’s stay in the centre… services are rendered to the family to improve their circumstances and prepare them for the return of the child to the family,” said spokesperson Lumka Oliphant.

– rorisangk@citizen.co.za