Missing Children Europe

Missing Children Europe is the European Federation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children. As an umbrella organization, it represents 24 Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) active in 16 Member States of the European Union and Switzerland. Each of these organizations is active in cases of missing and/or sexually exploited children at grassroots level, including prevention and support for victims.

24 NGOs, Members of Missing Children Europe:
- Austria: 47- Rat Auf Draht
- Belgium: Child Focus
- Czech Republic: Nadace Nase Dite
- Denmark: Thora Center
- France: APEV, Fondation pour l’Enfance, La Mouette
- Germany: Elterninitiative Vermisste Kinder, Weisser Ring
- Greece: The Smile of the Child
- Hungary: Kék Vonal
- Ireland: ISPCC
- Italy: Aurora, SOS II Telefono Azzurro
- Poland: ITAKA, Nobody’s Children Fondation
- Portugal: I.A.C
- Romania: Focus Romania, Salvati Copiii
- Slovakia: Linka Detskej Istoty
- Spain: ANAR, Protegeles
- Switzerland: SSI
- United-Kingdom: Missing People

Activities

Mission:
- To share good practice among its members;
- To provide representation for its members at the European institutions;
- To cooperate with the Washington-based International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children;
- To develop European tools to combat the disappearance and sexual exploitation of children.

In 2008, Missing Children Europe has:
- Initiated the EU-wide launch of 116 000, a single European telephone hotline number to report child disappearances;
- Underpinned a coalition of law enforcement agencies, payment firms, credit-card companies and Internet service providers to combat the online sexual exploitation of children;
- Helped establish a much-needed child-protection organization in Romania, which should be followed by one in Bulgaria.

Some key figures

Missing children include different types of disappearances, including parental abductions, runaways, the disappearance of unaccompanied migrant minors, criminal abductions and lost, injured or otherwise missing children.

o In the UK: 140 000 cases of missing children annually (383/day);
o In Belgium: an average of 4 new cases a day;
o In the USA: of 621 child abductions which ended in murder^[1]:
- 44% of the children were killed within the first hours;
- 74% were killed within 3 hours;
- 91% within 24 hours after the disappearance.

Funding

Missing Children Europe’s funds come from:
- The European Commission Daphne Programme (65%)
- Fundraising events, structural partnerships and membership fees (35%).

History

Missing Children Europe was established in 2001 by Child Focus(Belgium), La Mouette(France), Aurora(Italy), Initiative Vermisste Kinder(Germany) and Rat auf Draht(Austria).
Missing Children Europe gained financial independence in 2008, as it obtained a grant from the European Commission.

Notes

1. ^ Katherine M. Brown, Robert D. Keppel, and Joseph G. Weis, Marvin E. Skeen. CASE MANAGEMENT for Missing Children Homicide Investigation. Olympia, Washington: Office of the Attorney General, State of Washington and U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, May 2006, page 13

External links

www.missingchildreneurope.eu [1]