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?

I agree that it's likely she will have been trafficked.

Someone in government really should be advocating better for these kids. The scumbags know to go after looked-after kids as they don't have parents to kick up a stink.

I'd love to know what the official guidelines are for staff in eg children's homes in the event of a child going missing. Do they just assume they're a runaway, report and move on?

The poor thing is 12, FFS. It's utterly sickening to imagine what is likely happening to her now.

I'd personally love to see every man caught visiting these kinds of establishments to pay for sex with trafficked women and girls forcibly castrated.

She won’t be getting many shares or anything online because she just doesn’t look like a child. I loaded it up to see the image and she looks like a grown adult. Sadly will people see the picture and scroll by.

The Mail for all its faults carries news items like this or news items on crimes against children and women which the "quality press" don't touch.

We have a young girl who accesses a placement with us. Age 14, in care, runs missing at least 3 days per fortnight sometimes for longer periods of time.
Unfortunately she is regularly found with family she should not be with, in the company of many older males and addicts.
It is not for lack of trying. She has access to health services, drug and alcohol services, counselling, sexual health, psychplogist, education, caring foster carers, funds to ensure she has everything she needs. She has transport, access to friends, clubs, groups the absolute works
But the pull to her old life is strong and she doesn't feel cared for by anyone so runs missing hoping to find the love she needs. Unfortunately this attracts the wrong people..

How dare this young girl be wanting to return to family. Returning to those who will no doubt be manipulating her to believe that thr professionals do not really care about her. They are just paid to care. The reality is that of course she is more likely to believe the family etc… your comment she has funds for everything she needs is actually quite offensive. I grew up in a wealthy environment, however reality was it was a cover up for abuse. The desire to feel loved is stronger than ‘funds’ being thrown at the issue. Of course lessons will be learnt, they always are along with blaming the child. Fortunately due to some successful policies and genuine professionals. Researchers and professionals who are actually Care Experienced Persons are challenging the narrative and prejudice views of the so-called professionals who blame the child and expect them to be grateful.

My comment was not actually blaming the young person. I did not mean they are wealthy and should not need anything else, what I was trying to say is every level of support to try and meet needs is in place, however, sometimes the young person despite the levels of professional support offered and whatever care or support is put in place to keep them safe for whatever reason feels the need to re-enter the life which is causing them harm. This sometimes means that despite us reporting missing no action is taken for up to a week later as she is deemed a regular missing child despite the risks posed. This is not right and there should be an instant response however this is not always the case.

I actually know what pulls this young person back and I understand why fully, however the abuse suffered at the hands of those people and what she is exposed to means I wish she could be kept away from them.

This is certainly not the child's fault she cannot help the circumstance she was brought up and exposed to. I just hope she will eventually realise and help people keep her safe.

Coverage should be widely given to any young person missing to allow the quickest responses and best chance of them being found safe. Especially when they appear to know who the young person mentioned in OP is with. I pray she is found safe and is supported in getting the help she needs.

Then my question is what are you doing to challenge and change the system where by action is not taken immediately? This not a personal attack, however too many professionals merely comment and do not take action. Then when CEP adults speak up their views and experiences are dismissed or used an inspiration porn. You have most likely read the comments on this post. I would hope you can understand my why I am cynical and frustrated.

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.

Those posters aren't saying it shouldn't or that people don't care, they are offering explanations as to why not all missing children cases make the national news.

Nobody is being laissez-faire . They are not saying the girls disappearance should be ignored, they are acknowledging why it is being kept low key. Nobody is saying it is right.

I'd love to know what the official guidelines are for staff in eg children's homes in the event of a child going missing. Do they just assume they're a runaway, report and move on?

The staff in residential units/child’s homes are very aware that their young people are extremely vulnerable, they often know the kids are being manipulated, abused and exploited and have multiple supports in place.

The people who groom and abuse are incredibly skilled, they know exactly which buttons to press to get a child on the hook. They have money to bribe these kids away, to pay for transport and the kids themselves have vulnerabilities that make it very hard for them to navigate away from these people.

It’s a complex situation and I don’t know any care staff who “report and move on”, but they have relatively few levers to pull if a young person leaves the care home. They can’t lock them in.

It is absolutely not arbitary.

it may seem that way to you, but there will be details the police, family, social services etc know that can not be released to the public.

a risk assessment is done on every missing person. It only goes to public appeal if the risks of doing so outweighs the risk to the missing person.

bear in mind a public appeal can quite often increase the risk to a missing child, if theirs are people that can’t know where the child has been placed.

There are strict procedures to follow in the event a child goes missing from care (and the registered manager is held accountable for these via Ofsted), usually a missing child will trigger a multi agency response and at the very minimum there will be a return home interview when the child is located, to try to understand the push and pull factors that led to the situation in the first place.

An extremely good point that I doubt many have thought about

The Police have a system for rating risk in relation to missing episodes based on the known concerns, vulnerabilities, Intel etc. Generally media campaigns are only for children who are assessed as high risk. It's not that for children medium assessed there isn't significant work from police & social care (if as is often the case in care) but it's all behind the scenes. Honestly if every child that goes missing was in the press you wouldn't have much space for anything else sadly.