The Missing
Today marks three months since the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. The four year old has become the focus of people’s attention across the world, as has her parents plight. Unfortunately Madeleine is one of many missing children and the manpower needed to help all of them just isn’t available.
With exception of her family and the authorities, Madeleine has faded from our memories somewhat. I do not believe that is because society is uncaring but more that, since abduction is not a rare occurance, we tend to devalue its importance as an issue.
We read of tragedies in far away places, pause for a moment and think how terrible it is, before turning the page and moving onto something else. Madeleine’s case affected many of us at the time of her disappearance; for parents it was a situation that they could’ve easily found themselves in while on holiday. It touched us but also maybe it hit a nerve in terms of guilt. We’ve always known the issue of child abduction has been around yet we have tried to shy away from it and get on with our own lives.
In America, in 1999, 797,500 children (around 2,000 per day) were classified as reported missing. This figure is equivalent to 11.4 children per 1000. In 2002, 374,700 were missing without explanation. In Ireland between 2001 and 2005 research by the HSE showed that 328 children went missing.
On the Garda website ie.missing kids.com there are currently 80 pictures of children missing. In 2006, the ISPCC has found that 250 migrant children, seeking asylum, have gone missing in this country over the past 4 years. They suggest a link between missing children and child trafficking.
On the 28th April, of that same year, the Irish Examiner published a story about an African minor who the Gardai had rescued from a brothel and placed her in HSE care. Due to a lack of staff the girl was able to leave the facility, within days, and is once again missing.
This is all too common nowadays. Ireland has become a country that is very happy to accept people but does not necessarily have the facilities to accommodate them once they arrive.
There’s a lot of things that need to be changed if this problem is to be overcome, not just in Ireland. There seems to be a lack of awareness as to what options are available to parents and children alike. Those that run away normally feel that no one neither understands them or has time for them. That’s a world issue as to the difference in the hours we put into our working lives and our family lives. Children who run away are just as important as those who are abducted.
Child trafficking is a sick industry and the unspeakable that some are forced into is hard enough to imagine let alone to read or see. One can only hope that the alleged sighting of Madeleine McCann, in Belgium today turns out to be real,not another wild, goose chase and that she is returned to her parents safely.
Friday, August 3rd, 2007 and is filed under Views on News.
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