Society - Around 2000 people reported missing every year
More than 2000 people are reported missing in Saxony-Anhalt every year. From the beginning of the year to December 12, there were exactly 2197 people this year, as the Saxony-Anhalt State Criminal Police Office announced on request. 2065 missing persons have returned or been found. During the coronavirus pandemic, the number of missing persons was lower, falling from 2466 in 2019 to 2100 in 2020 and 1874 in 2021. According to the LKA, there were 2207 missing persons reports last year.
Permanent runaways make a difference
Children and young people are reported missing particularly frequently. According to the LKA, this group is particularly relevant due to the regularly high number of permanent runaways. Across the country, there is a double-digit number of permanent runaways who run away again and again. One permanent runaway alone was the subject of 64 known missing persons reports.
At the time of the survey in mid-December, 132 people were missing in the country, 75 of whom were male and 57 female. 95 of these were children and young people, many of them permanent runaways. According to the findings of the officials, the 37 adults were predominantly individual decisions to change their current living situation or living environment or, under certain circumstances, to end their lives. Among the missing people over 60, it is not uncommon for senior citizens to be disoriented.
Slightly more missing senior citizens
The statistics indicate a slight increase in the number of missing persons in the 60+ age group. In 2019, there were 87 missing persons reports in this group, with no significant increases in the coronavirus period. In 2022, the number of people aged 60 and over reported missing was 121 and by December 12 of this year it was 105.
Most missing people quickly return on their own or are found. According to a rough count, up to 70 percent of missing persons cases are resolved within three days, according to the LKA. For around 20 percent, it takes up to a week. "The rest are resolved after several weeks or months and sometimes even years."
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- While senior citizens make up a small portion of the missing persons reports, the number of missing seniors in Saxony-Anhalt has slightly increased, with 105 reports by December 12 this year.
- The LKA Saxony-Anhalt observed a decrease in missing persons reports during the coronavirus pandemic, but the number of reported missing children and young people, often permanent runaways, remained high.
- The turn of the year sees an increase in emergencies, and it's important to ensure the safety of all citizens, including children, seniors, and other vulnerable groups, by reporting any suspicious activities to the local law enforcement.
- Criminality remains a concern in certain areas of Saxony-Anhalt, with ongoing investigations by the State Criminal Police Office to address missing persons cases and other related crimes.
Source: www.stern.de
