Until December 2017, 37.5% of searches for missing persons in Spain, specifically 2,273 files, corresponded to minors. Many times the cause of the disappearance is the flight of the minor from their home or reception center, but on other occasions it is due to a kidnapping, undoubtedly the worst scenario for any family.
For this reason, the authorities warn about the importance of always keeping an eye on the little ones at home, especially in public spaces and, in case of losing sight of them, act immediately. The first three hours after the disappearance of a child are crucial to finding it.
5 guidelines to follow in case your child disappears
- Call him by name
If, after a momentary carelessness, you look for your son and cannot find him, the first thing you should do is start calling him by his name as loudly as you can while looking for him with your eyes around you. In the best of cases, it is likely that the little one has gotten lost and is playing quietly or has gone somewhere that has caught his attention and when he hears you he will come immediately. In the same way, if he is with a person who tries to kidnap him and he hears you call him, he will go to meet you or try to answer your call.
- Resort to citizen help
The next step is to involve the people around you to help you find your child. To anyone you meet on the way, describe to your child, his age, height, hair color and how he was dressed, any information that may facilitate their recognition is valid. Also ask them to help you look for it and that if they see it, stay with it or take it to you. This is a very effective strategy since if it is an attempted kidnapping, the kidnapper is likely to abandon his target when he notices that several people are looking for the child.
- Report the disappearance to the authorities
In the event of the disappearance of a minor, it is not necessary to wait until the first 24 hours have elapsed to make the report. If your efforts to find the child were in vain, immediately call the Civil Guard or the National Police to report the disappearance and activate the search mechanisms as soon as possible. You can also call 116 000, a free service offered by the Anar Foundation for complaints of disappearance of minors that operates in conjunction with other countries of the European Union.
- Provide as much information as possible
Before the disappearance of a child, any information can be valuable. Therefore, it is important that once you report the disappearance you provide as much information as possible, from the child’s full name, her date of birth and physical description to the places and people she usually frequents, if there are indications that she wanted to leave It can also be helpful if you give them a recent photograph of the little one, preferably in color.
- Check the possibility of resorting to social networks and media
Sometimes, resorting to social networks and media to report the disappearance of a child is convenient as it can facilitate the location of the child. However, this is not always the case, as citizen participation can sometimes hamper the authorities’ action plans. Therefore, it is advisable that before reporting the disappearance on social networks and media, you consult with the professionals who are in charge of the case.
