To be surprised this isn’t more high profile

[catonmybed]

girl, 12, has not been seen for four days missing twelve year old

I know it’s a Mail link but I haven’t seen this on the BBC homepage and I’m surprised it isn’t more high priority?

Links not working for me OP?

I think, sadly, a lot of it depends on if she's a looked after child, what she looks like, or if she comes from a family and area the general public can relate to. It's wrong.

Presume you mean this girl?

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/missing-girl-12-has-not-been-seen-for-four-days/ar-AA1v22SB

I hope she's found safely. Poor child.

Very few missing children actually make the national news.

its not ok but it’s true.

We had a teen missing for a week in our area (found safely). It was all over social media, and local news, but not national.

There doesn't appear to be anything about her on the BBC. But there are articles on most major newspapers - Mirror, Express, Evening Standard, Sun as well as local papers. And the Met Police website.

Under age girls go missing all the time with older males unfortunately. Usually they are being groomed & sexually exploited. This one is becoming high profile because of her age and the length of time she's been missing. Poor girl.

Missing teens rarely make national news. Especially if she's been missing before (which the article says she has) and, quite sadly, if they are in care.

My partner works with teens in care and they go missing alllllll the time.

It says she has gone missing before so it perhaps took a couple of days before they escalated it as opposed to a child disappearing on their way home from school out the blue.

She looks so much older than 12 in that photo. The whole story sounds really sad. I so hope she’s found safely but dread to think what is happening to her poor kid.

Because there are so very many kids who go missing, (adults too), the news would be full of nothing else. They are usually known to run away and return. It is also likely to make no difference at all to the outcome whether the child is all over the news. And there may be good reasons why they actually shouldn't or wouldn't want to be plastered on the front pages.

The cases which are newsworthy are the ones where it is very unusual or foul play is suspected and it's thought press coverage will help.
Finally - we can all choose what news to read and people mostly lose interest. There are wars and scandals and new laws and crimes and celebrity dramas and natural disasters and silly "human interest" stories - and people take 30 seconds to skim them all.

That’s very scary. She could easily be five years older in that picture. I do wonder if she is in care - I suspect she is. I really hope they find her soon.

wow she doesn’t look 12 she looks much older

It’s very common for children to go missing.
It’s just very rarely reported, apart from in the local area.

That was why there was a lot of issues over Madeline McCann because it was national news.

It’s absolutely shocking.
SM should be used for this exact reason but the news need to report on it too.

i think the ones who make the news is where it’s out of character and they’re feared to be dead. A 12 year old girl who looks about 17-18, is probably in local authority care and willingly goes with two men doesn’t fall into that category. Especially as she has gone missing before.

Very few missing persons cases are high profile. Seems to be quite arbitrary

She was reported to be wearing a Canada goose coat or something and those are a lot of money. Local authorities wouldn’t pay for children to have those would they? Maybe she is just badly parented

Likely to be more sinister than that and one of those men or another adult male bought it for her. That’s what these sorts of people do. I think if she’d have been living with parents they’d have mentioned it.

The very things that people are saying make it not worrying (looks older, missing before, perhaps in care) make it worrying

It is worrying but it’s not going to make the front pages. It’s sad because she’s clearly very vulnerable.

fullfact.org/online/missing-trafficked-children/

This is from a few years ago, but says there were 1,500 long term (>28 days) missing children in the UK.

And 75,000 children reported missing a year, with 80% resolved in 24 hours, but that still leaves many thousands not resolved in 24 hours.

It's awful. But not surprising when individual cases aren't reported on. It's more surprising really when cases do get attention.

Shocking photo as she looks much older than 12.

Hope she is found safe and well.

Met Police are concerned for the welfare of a 12-year-old girl who is missing from home in Bexleyheath.
Isabelle Lindsay-Nandra, known as Bella, was last seen at 15:30hrs on Tuesday, 26 November, when she left school.
Officers believe that she caught a bus to Woolwich and then travelled to King George V DLR station, arriving at 22:00hrs.
She has been missing before, but never for this period of time.
She may be in the company of a man, described as Black, in his 20s with a small beard. He may be called Marshall or another name beginning with M.
She may also have been in the company of another man, described as South Asian, who had a physical fight with the other man.
Isabelle is 5ft 3ins in height. She was wearing school uniform with a black Canada goose coat and blue suede boots with bows on the back.
Enquiries are ongoing to identify the men and locate Isabelle. This includes analysis of available CCTV.
Anyone who may have seen Isabelle or who has information about her whereabouts or the people with her is urged to call 101 and quote REF 01/11301511_/24.

God this is awful!

Our police force have a constant stream of posts on Facebook for missing children. Sometimes looked after children. Sometimes with someone.

Non make it to national news. Very few do.

Thankfully the vast majority turn up after a few days/weeks.

Thank you for your comment. I am quite disgusted by the laissez-faire attitude of some of the other posters. A vulnerable young girl missing should be every decent human being’s business. However this only counts for the right type girl of course, stable home with loving family. The young girl who possibly has corporate parents (shall have already experienced significant trauma to have corporate parents is not worthy of the same respect and concern for her welfare. This could have easily have been me, 30 years ago. Those who do not know the true horrors I experienced, do not understand why I struggle with imposter syndrome, self belief despite my degree, masters and now PhD level research in addition to holding down a full time demanding position. It is due to the laissez-faire attitude of individuals who believe children in the care system are worth less in your judgemental eyes. The emotional, physical and sexual abuse I experienced as a child was horrific. More horrific and traumatic was the attitude of the teachers and social workers and other adults who ignored and blamed me the child. Rather like the attitude of some Mums Net commentators.

Children in care don't have loving parents to kick up a huge fuss and make appeals.

Many of these girls go missing repeatedly as in the case of Isabella and sadly it continues until someone sorts out this poor young girls life.