Missing Persons Appeals

[FavouritePi]

I remember a thread on here where a poster said they were technically missing but didn't want to be found by people who were looking for her. However, they'd put out appeals every so often.

Recently I've seen posts on SM circulate from two people asking for pictures and whereabouts of a missing person to be sent to them directly. I've Googled the person and not one missing person's charity is appealing for information, everything about it just seems 'off'.

I've not shared the appeal because I'm more concerned it's someone who doesn't want to be found. How can you actually verify if someone is genuinely missing?

AIBU in thinking the appeals from individuals alone and not also from missing persons charities or police forces can be a bit dodgy? Or am I naive and perhaps charities and the police can only take on so many appeals and not everyone makes the cut?

I think they can definitely be dodgy and if someone's genuinely missing their families should seek help from the authorities. Some people have very good reasons for not wanting to be found. Some will let the police know they're safe.

You share only from official sources such as police. That's the only way to "verify" it's actually missing person

In the case that I think you're referring to, the police actually know where the woman is and are satisfied that she is safe but she has refused permission to tell her parents where she is as she wants NC.

I remember the original thread. The advice was to even if missing comes from a charity/police there should still be caution. If You went missing on purpose and saw yourself on SM wouldn’t you contact say Missing Persons and explain to them

I remember the thread you are referring to. The person who has gone missing from their life genuinely fears for their safety/their life which is why they left.

Only when certain people are dead will they feel safe.

I have a friend who means well when she passes on appeals through social media regarding missing persons but, knowing what I know now, I'm wary of doing that.

@Notanotherwindow I haven't seen anything from parents. Just had a look at Twitter and it seems a few more people are asking for covert photos and locations this person has been spotted in due to MH issues.

I'd like to think people could let missing charities know but imagine the fear that something would get back to those you're trying to get away from? Especially if the claim is limited capacity/MH issues.

I just don't understand why weeks later there's been no appeals from any official organisations.

I cringe when I see people sharing these.

Also hilarious at times as my police force regularly run 'missing person' appeals when the person is only actually 'missing' from the police.

No I wouldn’t share a missing person appeal from a random er on the internet.

That being said, I think that the missing persons organisations won’t necessarily share every missing person appeal because literally thousands of people go missing every day, and some are found, some aren’t.

The Police appeals generally disappear when the person is found, so if you share them they don't go round FB forever, if you know what I mean.

Our local Police force was on a TV show about missing people, they put in more effort than I thought they would to find people - and some people go missing regularly, including a child that was at school with my own child.

I never share stuff that says 'this man/woman has committed a crime' because you don't know who has started it - it could simply be someone with a grudge posting a photo of a person they don't like.

@ChicCroissant I think I saw the TV show you've mentioned. I was surprised at the work they put in too.

I wonder how missing persons charities choose which to take forward as appeals.

My ex walked out of my house about ten years ago and hasn’t been seen since
he will have had his reasons (known to himself) but I don’t blame him for not wanting to have anything to do with his family-they are two faced,openly told him that they hated him,had favourites-that wasn’t him and are just nasty people

Same people are in the papers wailing that their ‘much loved’ son/brother disappeared and they’ve not seen him since

my guess is that he just snapped and fucked off-I can’t blame him-that’s his choice

they put out an appeal on fb about a year ago and so many people ‘shared’ it without a thought
i know they meant well but if he wants to make contact,then he’ll do it in his own sweet time-not when his abusive mother wants him to

he must know that he’s ‘missing’ and a call to missing people wouldn’t go amiss but at the end of the day it’s his choice-I’m nc with my family for similar reasons and I wouldn’t either

I only share appeals that have come from the police - or where the police have filed the case as open and longstanding - after learning about people who are not missing, but escaping.