6 years ago
National Missing Persons Week 2017: Still waiting for you to come home
The Hon Michael Keenan MP Minister for Justice
Today marks the start of National Missing Persons Week, which this year aims to raise awareness of the staggering number of people that are people reported missing to police each year across Australia, and in particular our youth.
An estimated 38,000 people are reported missing to police each year-that's more than one person every15 minutes.
The reasons for going missing are many and varied, and the uncertainly of not knowing what has happened to your loved one is unimaginable.
The theme, still waiting for you to come home, recognises that young people aged between 13 and 17 are six times more likely to go missing than the rest of the population and account for half of all missing persons reported to police.
When a young person is reported missing, we recognise the impact this can have on their family and friends.
To aid in the search, police will this year receive additional assistance from the AUSTRAC-led Fintel Alliance, which will assess any financial activity that appears suspicious.
This information will aid in locating missing persons and will help decrease the chances of them becoming victims of crime.
Australia's law enforcement agencies and their partners are doing their part to tackle our high number of missing young people, but every member of the community can help.
If you are a young person that hasn't been in contact with family or friends, today might be the day that you let them know you are okay. If you know someone that hasn't been in contact with their family, you can urge them to make that call.
I encourage all Australians to visit the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre website at missingpersons.gov.au<http://www.missingpersons.gov.au> for more information about missing persons and young people at risk of going missing.
Please view the profiles of long-term missing persons across Australia and if you have any information about the whereabouts of a missing person please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.