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Missing

In the UK, cases of people going missing on a night out – often ending in a fatal outcome – have attracted growing attention in recent years. Many cases take a long time to be resolved, leaving families ‘in limbo’ and attracting media scrutiny of the police response and investigation.

Missing People

Missing People are the only UK charity dedicated to supporting missing children and adults, and their loved ones. Our mission is to be a lifeline when someone disappears.

SafeCall

SafeCall is a free support service for young people run by Missing People.

For more information visit SafeCall.

Missing Persons Support

Come and join our community with almost 25k members, who include over 140 families with missing loved ones. Anniversary, birthday and Christmas appeals are published, including International Missing Children’s Day on 25 May each year. We also published Missing Persons Day appeals on the first Wednesday of December for families in Ireland.

Men Missing On A Night Out

This paper presents findings from a study of 96 fatal disappearances of men who were last seen ‘on a night out’. The study examines the geographical components of these cases: the venue the missing person was last socialising in, their last known position, their point of entry into the water or incapacity on land, and the place their body was recovered. The paper outlines important implications for the development of search strategies in these cases.

The underlying premise of the study was that focusing on a group of cases defined by the circumstances in which they went missing rather than the personal characteristics of the individuals (other than being male) would yield important and operationally useful findings for assessing risk and developing search strategies.

Read more about the research.

Geoff Newiss discusses men missing on a night out in an episode of Missing Persons Uncovered.

Missing Persons Uncovered

This podcast series goes beneath the surface of a global emergency. In the UK alone, 155,000 people are reported missing every year. But what does it truly mean to go missing? Why do some individuals feel compelled—or forced—to disappear? And what more can we do to safeguard those most at risk?

Hosts Caroline Humer and Professor Karen Shalev delve into the human stories behind the statistics, speaking with people who have experienced missing-person episodes firsthand. They also engage with frontline professionals and practitioners who are working to challenge misconceptions, strengthen responses, and raise awareness around one of the most misunderstood social issues of our time.

Drawing on Caroline’s two decades in international child protection and Karen’s 14 years of leading academic research into missing persons, the series brings evidence, expertise, and empathy together. Join them as they uncover the factors that lead to people going missing—and share vital knowledge on how we can better protect society’s most vulnerable.

For more information visit Missing Persons Uncovered.

Safe and Found Online

Safe and Found Online is a Digital Information Bank committed to Safeguarding Vulnerable People.

As part of their Missing Persons strategies, UK Police Forces are encouraging carers of vulnerable people who are at risk of going missing to compile useful information about them. This data is recorded on a form provided by the Police and can save vital time in putting together a search and rescue plan in a missing persons event.

These forms are called “Protocols”. They have worked in partnership with several English police forces to create digital versions of these forms. This means lifesaving information can be with the police at the touch of a button.

For more information visit Safe and Found Online.

Petition: Fund a dedicated family support team for all missing children cases

As the mother of Ben Needham, Kerry knows the pain of no answers. Families face unequal support. We call on the UK Government to fund a centralised team to ensure fair, equal help for all missing children cases, so no family fights alone.

Families of missing children in the UK face an unfair and inconsistent system, where support, funding, and resources vary widely between cases. No family should have to struggle alone or feel their child matters less because of circumstance or attention.

Please sign the petition to offer your support.

Tragedy Trolling – Jay’s Law

When Jay Slater went missing, the internet exploded, TikTok and other influencers shared their wild speculation. It jeopardised factual information being shared. His mother, Debbie Duncan was bombarded with vile accusations.

Please support Debbie’s campaign for social media platforms to remove misinformation and malicious speculation online. Many families have been targeted and have endured this type of intrusion and vitriol from armchair detectives and trolls. Misinformation jeopardises cases, but so does exchanging information with non-authorised third parties. #JaysLaw