6yo girl missing in London, Greenwich - has now been found (updated by MNHQ)

[Theremedy]

From the BBC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce58e7mjlxko

Mumsnet seems to have quite a large London population I thought it couldn’t hurt to spread the word. I can’t even imagine how scared a 6 year old would be out alone all night.

poor little girl

Im also thinking about that poor child that died when his father had a heart attack. Perhaps her parent or carer had an accident and no one discovered the parent for a while and then realised the child wasnt there?

Its not that likely but these things do happen

Yesterdays news of those poor innocent children being attacked and now a 6 year old missing is just so heavy on the heart. Our children deserve so much better 💔 I have a 6 year old, I can't even imagine leaving them out of my sight for a minute let alone not knowing where they are for 10 hours before reporting them missing.

I’m struggling to understand how someone didn’t stop. I would have stopped and waited around for a bit to see if a parent turns up then called the police. She’s clearly too small to be wandering around by herself.

I know people say “oh it’s easy to say that” but I have actually stopped before, once for a crying teen and once for a schoolkid who it turned out had been locked out by accident and was waiting for their mum to get in. A child that small I would definitely have stopped. I got lost as a small child, some teenagers found my mum for me. The fact that a tiny child can be wandering around and no-one goes “hang on thats not right, better call the police” is disturbing. I understand men may not want to be seen with a strange kid but you can get out of your car, call the police and keep an eye out until they arrive.

Terrible indictment of our society that noone stopped to help her.

How could she not be reported missing until 22.40?!!! Bless her heart, I hope she's OK somewhere.

The picture that looks like she’s crying. Heartbreaking.
I hope the poor girl is found safe.

I tend to agree. That said my DS now 27 decided at 4 1/2 years old that it was a lovely day and it would be really nice to let himself out and go for a walk down the street barefoot and in his pyjamas holding his cereal bowl in one hand while I who had just given birth to his brother was bathing the baby.

I realised he was gone quite quickly after bathing and changing, but still enough time had gone past that he had completely disappeared. Some very good saintly person had picked him up and dropped him at the local doctors surgery. The police were very good, but strangely never came out. I was a crying, screaming mess. My mother had to take over.

Anyway when I turned up to collect him from the doctors surgery I'll never forget the withering, despising look the reception staff gave me. Completely understandably. I didn't even bother to explain. It didn't help that I still had my slippers on and my hair was a complete mess. I looked completely like a deranged, incapable person.

My mum had to take over as I was a nervous wreck for two days afterwards.

So I'm prone not judge too quickly. Could possibly be the parent was away and left the child with relatives or something or parent has severe PND or something.

I used to work in that area and there was a rule that we couldn't do home visits on that estate alone.

I hope she is found quickly, I just think if she's been found and was being kept safe they would've called police, assuming police will have checked at friends and relatives houses she might have gone to if her parents have either not been around or have been incapable of caring for her previously. I think it's really worrying a child of this age has wandered off on her own, at six they have an awareness of what's not safe, unlike when you see reports that a 2-3 year old has escaped from an unlocked front door etc.

I have a son who will be six in November, this makes me feel sick to my stomach.

Why couldn’t you do home visits?

What was wrong with that estate in particular? I hate how this still happens in today’s world.

Lots of places are 2 up, not just Thamesmead

Nothing
It's a perfectly fine newish development on the Thames.

"Why couldn’t you do home visits?"

She said they couldn't go alone. Probably because of a high number of abuse and assaults by the residents there. Is it that hard to work out.

Thamesmead was built in the 60s, continual redevelopment of course

Clockwork Orange was filmed there. For obvious reasons

I dont work in the area but I have done visits there as we have clients all over the country. I did go on my own but its rare that I feel uncomfortable and I did.

Strangely the thing I reported on my last visit to the area was horses tethered to the middle of a roundabout, no water, no shade in the middle of a boiling hot day. I phoned the RSPCA but I dont know what happened after that.

I have actually found a 6yr old before on my street. No idea where he came from but he was playing in my front garden. I called the police and kept an eye on him from a discreet distance (he was happily playing and I didn’t want to spook him). Police came very quickly on blue lights, possibly as I have reported him as being about 4 as he was so small.

Turns out he lived further down the street, but it was clear not all was well as more police soon turned up at the address. The officer couldn’t tell me anything, but I gathered from what I overheard (yes I was listening, maybe shouldn’t have been but I had to know) that the parents were home but incapacitated by drugs or alcohol. A few days later the whole family was gone and a specialist cleaning team entered and carried out yellow sharp boxes and clinical waste bags.

It was haunting, and I’m glad I called as it brought the family attention from the relevant authorities and I hope got the children help.

I was wondering what the neighbourhood was like. It looks regenerated compared to the Thamesmead of old. But I suppose the power of architecture is limited.

Would a 6 year old playing alone in her PJ's raise eyebrows there?

Blatant neglect. Poor little girl.

And those adults walking by her not thinking to ask her if she's ok and where her parents are! My son is 6 and I'd hope the first person who saw him alone would stop and take him to the police station.

They didn't need to release the time she was reported missing.

Of course, it might not be parental sloppiness that is their theory.

I do hope it was "just" neglect and she shows up safe and well (and gets some proper protection).

They wont. People have been made so afraid of talking to children, approaching children, looking at the child to check whats happening makes it look like they're 'looking at a child' - no one will do that now.

Thats what society has created.

Exactly. She had a bag with her as well, perhaps she was "running away" from something unpleasant in the home. That or it's a single mum household and she went to work leaving her in the house alone for an extended period of time and the little girl decided to have a walk.

Either way, it's absolutely awful. I don't have high hopes. She'd have been reported by now if someone has located her safely and she was out for hours before it got dark. Poor girl deserved much better.

I disagree. I would ALWAYS ask a 6 six year wandering alone. My first thought wouldn't be fear, it would be making sure the child's ok. That's what any decent adult would do.

Can I ask if you have lived there?

Because I have, and saying there is ‘nothing’ wrong there just really isn’t accurate 🫠

or are you just trying to write this off as middle class panic with zero lived experience yourself

That or it's a single mum household and she went to work leaving her in the house alone for an extended period of time and the little girl decided to have a walk.

Yet whenever there is some kind of "home alone" case reported, it's never ever that the parent was at work. Holidays, nightclubs, general gallivanting, but never work.

I can't decide whether that says more about reporting bias or the nature of chaotic people.

Those saying people wouldn't usually stop to speak to the child. I absolutely would and everyone I know would, recently we stayed at a hotel and found a little boy who had escaped his hotel room without his parents noticing. Thankfully a few minutes later a panicked mum came running down the corridor looking for him. She said he'd got out whilst she was having a shower.