Tens of thousands of children go missing every year in Europe
Tens of thousands of children go missing every year in Europe, a phenomenon that presents challenges for authorities, organizations, and the public alike. The reasons are diverse, but the data is often incomplete. This report sheds light on the current situation using available statistics, peer-reviewed studies, and European data sources to paint an accurate picture of the problem. Scope of the Problem According to estimates from the European Commission and the organization Missing Children Europe, approximately 250,000 children are reported missing in Europe annually. This equates to about one case every two minutes. This figure includes various categories of missing persons cases, including runaways, parental abductions, unaccompanied minor refugees, and rare cases of criminal kidnappings. An analysis of the 116,000 hotline, operated in 32 European countries, shows that in 2021, around 54,655 calls related to missing children were registered, with approximately 13% of cases involving children who had previously been reported missing…
