Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: A direct hit was reported in the Gush Dan area, with rescue teams rushing to three locations
Israeli media: Eyewitnesses say an Iranian missile struck a strategic site in the center of "Israel"
Israeli media: Four settlers were injured in the latest Iranian strikes
Israeli media: Missile impacted the al-Naqab desert
Israeli Channel 14: An Iranian missile impacted a strategic site in southern Tel Aviv
Israeli Channel 12: Four Iranian missiles impacted Tel Aviv
Israeli media: An Iranian missile hit a 50-story building in Tel Aviv
Iranian missiles impacted central Tel Aviv again
Sirens are sounding across Israeli city settlements and occupied territories, including Tel Aviv and occupied al-Quds
Israeli military command: Sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles from Iran

Parents in London hesitate to call in missing children cases

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News website
  • 26 Apr 2023 17:20
3 Min Read

The London Assembly police and crime committee investigate the causes and handling process of missing child cases and find that distrust among parents causes them to look for their children instead of reporting them missing.

  • x
  • Two police officers stand outside the New Scotland Yard, London, UK, 21 March 2023. (Reuters)
    Two police officers stand outside the New Scotland Yard, London, UK, 21 March 2023 (Reuters)

Diminishing trust and confidence in London police prompts parents to be more reluctant to report to authorities if their children went missing.

After an investigation that aimed to uncover the causes and handling process of missing child cases, the London Assembly police and crime committee discovered that "distrust" felt by parents towards the British police force parents into looking for their children instead of reporting to authorities.

Moreover, the committee discovered that London households "face frustrating delays and inaccurate information when reporting missing incidents to the Met (Metropolitan police)," which is "inconsistent and "fractious" when responding to calls from all over the capital and have been thought to "hinder" the search for highly vulnerable children.

Two-thirds of the cases remain unreported

9,370 children went missing in London in 2022-23, many of which have recurrently been reported as missing, which amounted to almost 30,000 separate missing cases recorded by the Met.

The charity 'Missing People' said that the number of cases is actually two-thirds higher than the official numbers as a large portion of missing incidents remains unreported to the Met.

Related News

Thousands protest in London for Gaza despite police ban

UK Met police scrutinized for blocking pro-Palestine march outside BBC

“For many people within London, the fact that parts of the Met have issues around misogyny and racism will impact on a community’s engagement with the police at all sorts of times,” Sherry Peck, Chief Executive of youth organization Safer London, stated.

According to a YouGov poll completed last week 51% of Londoners participating in the survey said they did not trust the police while 42% did. Furthermore, 'distrust' increased slightly to 55% among Londoners of ethnic minorities.

Another charity Catch22 underlined that the communities that express feelings of distrust towards authorities "are more likely to involve relatives and friends in the search for a missing child, especially if they have concerns that their child will get into trouble."

The committee emphasized its concern that not all missing children receive "an effective and proportionate police response" warning that "all children who go missing are highly vulnerable to exploitation," with some getting subjected to "the most appalling harms."

Disproportionate cases 

Children in London who could be subjected to participating in criminal activity "should be seen first and foremost as victims, and everything should be done" to ensure they are not criminalized as evidence shows "this is not always happening in practice," the report underlined.

Black children are unevenly affected by phenomena as 43% of missing children are black even though they account for just 17% of the children population in the city. 

“The safety and wellbeing of children from all London’s communities remain an absolute priority for the Met,” the Met’s Public Protection Commander, Kevin Southworth, noted.

The official pointed to the fact that “investigating missing person reports is a complex area of policing and we recognize the distress such incidents cause the family and friends of the person involved."

He finally added, “We recognize all of the issues raised in this report and will continue to work with the Mayor and [Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime] to address the recommendations; all of which are informed by valued partners.”

  • Metropolitan Police Department
  • Missing Children
  • London Metro Police
  • UK
  • London

Most Read

The logo of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (wikidata)

Iran acquired thousands of sensitive Israeli documents: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 7 Jun 2025
'Israel' launches major strike against Iran's nuclear program

'Israel' launches massive aggression on Iran

  • MENA
  • 13 Jun 2025
Iranian demonstrators walk on a caricature of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the annual Quds Day rally in support of Palestinians, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 28, 2025 (AP)

Iran hits 'Israel' hard without arms; intel breach lays Tel Aviv bare

  • Politics
  • 7 Jun 2025
Smoke rises after an Iranian ballistic missile directly struck Tel Aviv, Occupied Palestine, June 13, 2025 (AP)

Op. True Promise 3: Iran's ballistic missiles strike Tel Aviv

  • MENA
  • 13 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Global condemnations mount against Israeli aggression on Iran
Politics

Global condemnations pour in against Israeli aggression on Iran

President Donald Trump attends the UFC 316 mixed martial arts event Saturday, June 7, 2025, in Newark, New Jersey (AP)
MENA

US denies role in attacks on Iran, yet vows to defend 'Israel'

Vehicles drive past an anti-Israeli banner showing missiles being launched, in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP)
Politics

Political, military Iranian figures vow revenge, slam US complicity

AEOI condemns IAEA silence after Israeli aggression on nuclear site
Politics

AEOI slams IAEA's silence despite Israeli aggression on nuclear site

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS