Missing Children SA: Over 1300 children and adults reported missing monthly
South Africa has seen a number of children going missing in the past few weeks.
Picture: © sinicakover/123rf.com
Africa Melane speaks to Bianca van Aswegen, Criminologist and National Coordinator at Missing Children SA.
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
The case of missing Joshlin Smith has dominated headlines as the community and law enforcement desperately search for the 6-year-old.
Police in the Western Cape are also urgently searching for 3-year-old boy, Enzokuhle Mtshobeni, who vanished from his home in Stellenbosch's Kayamandi area on Sunday.
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In addition to this, they are investigating the disappearance of 13-year-old Lizalise Mayi from Philippi East and 17-year-old Ongeziwe Kamlana from Gugulethu.
These are just some of the cases highlighting how many children are going missing in our country.
Van Aswegen says this is unfortunately not abnormal.
“This is what the reality of South Africa is regarding children that go missing.”
- Bianca van Aswegen, Criminologist and National Coordinator at Missing Children SA
She says there are a number of reasons why children go missing, such as running away from abusive homes, kidnapping, and human trafficking.
“South Africa has been declared as a human trafficking hub by the US Department of State.”
- Bianca van Aswegen, Criminologist and National Coordinator at Missing Children SA
She adds that this is something that escalates every year.
“Kidnapping is high at the moment. I think it is almost 1300 and above cases (of child and adult kidnappings) being reported to our police services monthly.”
- Bianca van Aswegen, Criminologist and National Coordinator at Missing Children SA