It is perhaps one of Ireland's greatest secrets that there is so many people that have disappeared and whose cases remain unresolved.
It is for this reason that
www.lostschoolfriends.ie supports as its nominated charities, organisations dedicated to finding missing persons. There is a clear similarity in our missions. Although there are far greater implications with missing persons, there are the shared ideals in bringing people together. If we can help, even in some minor way in finding just one missing person then it would all be worth it.
As
www.lostschoolfriends.ie is a free website our support will be in the form of offering links. However given our fast growing membership it is to be hoped that somehow one or more of our members can help in some little way. So I would ask you all to take the time and trouble to click on the link for
www.missing.ws and spend some time looking at this very worthwhile site and to see if you can help a missing person.
www.missing.ws was established in 2000 by Fr Aquinas Duffy, following the disappearance of his cousin. In 2001, details of a second person were added. However sadly this person was subsequently found deceased by his family. It was shortly after this tragedy that these founders and others set about campaigning for a help line and better resources for the families of missing people. A limited help line was also set up with an on call paging system. After much campaigning and many media interviews a state aided help line for the families of the missing was established by victim support. The Missing Persons Association was formed in 2002 to bring together groups who could help both with searching for missing people and to continue to highlight the issue of missing persons. The MPA is also available to families for advice and for assisting families where possible. All of its members are voluntary. The MPA has a 24-hour paging system if people need to contact them in relation to a missing person (087-9609885). The MPA now has charitable status.
Helplines
There was in Ireland, a National Missing Persons Helpline which was run by Victim Support for two and half years. Sadly it ceased on March 31st 2005 due to funding being withdrawn by the Dept of Justice. However the Garda Siochana have an excellent website with a section on missing persons. Information about missing people, whose cases are filed with the Gardai, can also be given in confidence by phoning the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111
Facts and Figures
It is important to note that any person over 18 years of age is entitled in law to go missing of his or her own free will. Indeed, hard as it may be to imagine, some missing persons, may not want to be found. But families who have a loved one missing just want to know they are ok. Knowing this alone would be a source of great help.
The Garda Annual Report for 2002, published recently, shows that there were 2,337 people reported as "acceptable" missing persons' cases in that year. By the end of 2002, 74 of them remained untraced. The figure represents a 10% increase in the number of reported missing persons' cases. In the same year, there were 446 'unacceptable' missing persons' cases recorded (a decrease of 37% in this category from 2001). The terms "acceptable" and "unacceptable" are used to distinguish betwen two categories of missing persons. The term "acceptable" refers to a) persons under 18 years, b) aged persons, c) physically or mentally disabled persons, or d) persons whose disappearnance takes place in circumstances which give rise to fears for the person's physical or moral safety. The report is available online at the Garda Website (Publications section). The missing persons section is in the stats section on pages 138-139.
To Those Who are Missing
The word "missing" in no way describes the sense of helplessness, frustration, anger, and despair that goes through one's mind. Always, there is the desire to know where are they now and what happened to him or her. If one is a person of faith, then it is a real challenge to one's faith. It makes one realise that we depend on each other and that's why help is needed to look out for those who are missing. If you are a person who is missing, please do phone home or one of the agencies. It is enough to know that you are alive.
Aoife
National Missing Persons Help line Number is 1850 442 552
