Protection of missing children

The Team for introducing the Amber Alert system in Serbia was formed by the government at the beginning of the year 2023 by order of the Minister of the Interior Affairs. ASTRA has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs on missing children cases since 2014, and we run the European missing children hotline in Serbia 116000, starting in 2012. Bearing that all in mind and many years of expertise, we have become one of two NGOs included in the Team. Based on the previous work, the main principles of the System's functioning for early warning of the public in Serbia in cases of missing children were determined. The System, which is called AMBER alert in many countries, will be called "Find me" in our country or in local "Pronai me." It has been repeated several times that it will start operating in November 2023.

In order to collect and transfer as much relevant knowledge as possible to our colleagues in the Team, about the functioning of this System and good practices, we used the opportunity for a study visit to Albania. The study visit took place on June 13 and 14, and it was organized by the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC). International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, in partnership with CRCA / ECPAT of Albania and the Albanian National Police, is working to implement the AMBER Alert system in Albania. ASTRA representatives had the opportunity to participate in the "AMBER Alert in Albania: Law Enforcement and First Responders" training.

This training provided theoretical and practical skills to the Albanian State Police and Albanian First Responders (such as hotline and helpline analysts) on the issue of Missing Children, particularly the AMBER Alert system. The training will tackle the issue of missing children in Albania, regionally and globally, discuss the current methods and practices in Greece and USA, focus on the AMBER Alert system, the protocols to be put in place and followed, and propose a practical exercise to put into practice what was learned.

Bearing in mind that the process of introducing an early warning system in cases of missing children in Serbia almost coincides with the establishment of AMBER Alert in Albania, this was an ideal opportunity to exchange experiences and expertise regarding the process of establishing the System, insights in the challenges that accompany that process, but and observed trends in the field of child disappearances in both countries.

On this occasion, ASTRA representatives shared the findings and conclusions of the ten-year work practice report of the European number for missing children in Serbia 116000, and the findings of a comparative analysis SYSTEM OF EARLY ALERT in Missing Children Cases.

On the occasion of May 25, International Missing Children Day, ASTRA participated in the joint campaign of members of the Missing Children Europe association and, independently of that, organized an event as part of the process of introducing the Amber Alert (Child Alert) system in Serbia.

International Missing Children's Day is dedicated to raising awareness about the alarming issue of missing children and offering hope to their families. On this day, Missing Children Europe and ASTRA, as a part of this network, call the EU and Member States to action to combat online grooming leading to missing and to ensure the continuity of the 116000 hotlines supporting missing children and their families.

The numbers are staggering and demand immediate attention. In Europe, an astonishing 250,000 children are reported missing annually – that's equivalent to one child disappearing every two minutes. In 2022 alone, the 116 000 European hotlines dedicated to missing children received 70,855 points of contact concerning 6668 cases. The majority of these incidents involved children who ran away, accounting for 66% of new cases reported. Additionally, 24% involved parental abductions, while a small yet significant portion, 3%, involved missing children in migration (Figures and Trends 2022 report).

In Serbia, statistics are similar: runaways – 45%; children involved in parental obduction − 18%; children missing in migration – 17%.

But behind each statistic lies a heart-wrenching story of a missing child, profoundly impacting their families and communities. 116000 hotlines, operated by member NGOs within the Missing Children Europe network, stand as a beacon of hope, offering crucial support and help to families and children facing the unimaginable. Available 24/7, the hotlines offer a wide range of services, including mental health support, legal advice, and social resources, ensuring that no family or child feels alone on their journey. ASTRA has run a 116000 hotline, European Number for Missing Children in Serbia, since 2012. In the last ten years, the hotline received 4,413 calls, based on which 143 missing children cases were mapped (83 girls and 60 boys). In cooperation with the police, most of them were solved successfully (89−98%).

On this occasion, MCE members called on the governments of their countries to support the work and ensure the sustainability of 116,000 lines in their countries.

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In addition,  ASTRA organized an expert meeting SYSTEM OF EARLY ALERT IN MISSING CHILDREN CASES (Child Alert) IN SERBIA: Assessment of the Situation and Possibilities, at which the publication SYSTEM OF EARLY ALERT in Missing Children Cases was presented. The publication is a comparative analysis of the operational and institutional practice of similar systems in Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, and Croatia, as well as an overview of the domestic legislation currently regulating this area. In addition, we will present the main findings of the report MISSING CHILDREN SERBIA: European Missing Children Hotline 116000 in Serbia – The First Ten Years of Operation.

Both of these editions result from ASTRA's previous practice and desire to share information that would be important for introducing an early warning system in cases of missing children (Amber Alert) in Serbia.

ASTRA, as one of the members of the Team for the introduction of Amber Alert in Serbia, and the organization that has been managing the European number for missing children 116000 in Serbia for 10 years, wanted to open a more comprehensive dialogue and exchange of knowledge, opinions, and experiences between representatives of institutions, and the civil sector, e.i., among experts in the field of child protection, children's rights and safety, and share information that would be important for the introduction of an early warning system in cases of missing children (Amber Alert) in Serbia.

The meeting confirmed the strong motivation of the present experts and members of the Team for the introduction of Amber Alert in Serbia to do that work in the best possible way and inspires confidence that next year on this same date, we will have an established early warning system in cases of missing children and a safer environment for the youngest.