Recently, almost all of Serbia searched for and shared posts about the missing young man Vid from Novi Sad on social networks. He was found alive after a few days and it is one of the cases with a happy outcome when it comes to missing persons.
However, if you go to the Missing Serbia site, you will see the faces of people who are still gone. Among them are young people, old people with lives behind them, about which nothing is still known.
According to the statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in 2021, 2830 adults were reported missing in Serbia, of which 2785 were found. This means that 45 families are still searching for their loved ones. The statistics are on the rise compared to 2020, during which 1372 adults were reported missing. Regarding the disappearance of minors in 2021, 1287 minors were reported missing in Serbia, of which 1274 were found.
During 2022, 1523 minors disappeared, of which 1518 were found, and as for adults, the figures say that out of 1801, 1620 were found. Based on the data from the previous year, we can see that the number of disappearances is increasing.
"As for the most common disappearances, the first association with disappearance is kidnapping, while according to the Ministry of Interior, criminal abductions rarely happen in Serbia," Ružica Radović, a psychologist from the Center for Abused and Missing Children, told the "Vremena" portal.
Involvement of the general public helps in the search
She says that disappearances can be intentional, that is, due to abuse, depression or suicide. Then, unintentional - disappearance due to dementia or schizophrenia, but also forced, i.e. disappearance due to kidnapping or human trafficking.
Since 2015, the Center for Missing and Abused Children has been recording dozens of cases of missing children who were reported to it, and who were quickly found and returned to their families by quickly alerting the public.
It was these cases that supported the Center's position that the involvement of the general public in the search through the establishment of the Register of Missing Persons of Serbia will significantly contribute to a better search for missing persons, primarily children. The goal is visibility of a large number of missing persons whose data and photos, apart from police records, are not available to the public. The center takes the position that with such an approach, lack of transparency, the general public cannot join the search and contribute to the finding of missing persons, especially minors," says Radović.
False information slows down the search
On the other hand, she adds, what can hinder the search is false information about the missing person as well as unverified media assumptions about the cause of the disappearance, which can lead to suspicion that the person is in danger.
According to her, social networks contribute to the involvement of citizens in this process and the visibility of information publicly increases the probability that a person will be found. By providing a detailed description of the missing person, the family and relatives enable the general public to actively participate in the search, that is, to recognize the missing person, to report that they have met him, or to provide him with help.
The Center for Missing and Abused Children launched the Register of Missing Persons, an Instagram and Facebook page, and now the Missing Serbia application, in order to expand visibility through various channels and to help in the process of finding a missing person.
She emphasizes the importance of the first step in the situation of the disappearance of a child or an adult is to call the police, via the number 192. From the moment of giving a statement and information about the missing person at the nearest police station, the investigation begins and it will depend on the individual circumstances of each disappearance. It is important that you provide the police officers with all available information and details that could speed up the investigation and result in finding the missing person as soon as possible.
"The family that reports the disappearance of a loved one is anxious for a reason and very often they are not able to distinguish which information is relevant to the search and which is not." That's why it's most important to talk to them with a person who will know exactly what questions to ask and how to "bring them back" on the topic. The family is going through agony, questioning themselves, the reasons for the disappearance, the little things, any signs that could have caused the person to leave. Very often this information is useful, but sometimes it is much more important to focus on where to look for the missing person, where he could have gone and who to talk to," she says.
The family of the missing person contacted us in order to immediately publish information about the disappearance in the Registry of Missing Persons of Serbia and spread the news on the social networks of the Registry and the Center. The first condition that must be met is that the disappearance has been reported to the police. Then, we discuss with the family precisely the information that may be of importance for the search, what the person looks like, where he was last seen, whether he has announced that he is going somewhere and similar details.
Within the application and website nestali.rs, we publish data that we consider to be for the public, that is, that is relevant for the search. We do not disclose the family's information, but we inform the family if someone reports seeing the missing person. It is necessary to react immediately and quickly because in case of disappearance, the first hours are crucial. Then the probability of tracing the missing person is higher.
"Rules" of what needs to be done in the first 24 hours after the disappearance
faces. First of all, it is necessary to check whether the person has left a farewell letter or farewell message, either in physical form or online. Immediately afterwards, the police should be contacted. Then it is important for the police to prepare basic information, the name and surname of the missing person as well as a detailed description - height, weight, tattoos, hairstyle, anything that would facilitate identification. Then, a good quality photograph, not older than 6 months, information on when the person was last seen, where they were seen and what they were wearing. In addition, the phone number and social networks of the missing person, a list of friends and acquaintances who are in constant contact with the missing person. It is also important to communicate possible changes in behavior, if they have occurred - staying at work longer than usual, changing society, fear, relationship with a partner. but also the state of health - it is important to state if the person has a chronic disease, especially if due to that disease he needs medical help, medicines and the like.
Bracelets for the demented
The data shows that there is a large number of elderly people who disappear due to dementia, and according to our interlocutor, sometimes family members refuse to accept that their parent or close person is ill. The consequences of that denial can be great.
To a demented person, everyone is just a face in a crowd. Elderly people who are without constant supervision can only wander off, and the aggravating circumstance is that they do not know how to return, report themselves, or manage adequately. However, there are ways to prevent their disappearance. One of them is a bracelet for demented people, but it has not yet taken root in our country.
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