2,000 children remain missing in last 7 Months
Representational image.
From January to July this year, general diaries (GDs) were filed regarding 15,717 children going missing across the country. Among them, 13,679 have been found or have returned to their respective families. However, there is no trace of the remaining 2,038 children.
Recently, various media outlets published reports that over 15,000 children had gone missing in the country from January to July this year, creating public concern over the issue. Later, to clarify the subsequent status of the missing children, Police Headquarters verified information through local police stations. This revealed the full picture of children who were found after going missing and those who still remain missing.
This information was shared with media outlets via a message sent from Police Headquarters, on Thursday.
According to police data, from January to July, GDs were filed for 474 missing children aged 0 to 9 years. Of these, 406 have been recovered, while 68 remain missing. During the same period, 15,243 children aged 10 to 17 went missing. Among them, 13,273 have been recovered, and 1,970 are still missing. Thirteen percent of the missing children have not yet been found.
Regarding the reasons for disappearances, Police Headquarters stated that young children typically go missing when they get lost in unfamiliar places with family, cannot provide their address, or wander off while returning home alone. In the case of adolescents, the reasons are somewhat different. The primary reasons, police said it could be academic pressure, family disputes, a desire for an independent lifestyle, influence by friends or classmates, and attempts to obtain money or other benefits from family are among the main reasons they leave home.
Police say that the introduction of online GD filing to make police services more accessible has significantly increased the number of GDs filed for disappearances and other incidents. According to police statistics, 17,808 GDs were filed for missing persons in 2023. In 2024, that number decreased to 16,414. However, in 2025, it rose again to 22,550.
