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July 31, 2015
The Salvation Army is calling on anyone who has lost contact with the people closest to them to connect with its Family Tracing Service as part of national Missing Persons Week (August 2-8).
This year’s theme, “Follow Your Instincts”, aims to dispel commonly misconceptions within the community around missing persons, such as the idea there is a “right” time to search for a missing person and that people “choose” to go missing.
“There is never a right or wrong time to search, people have to do it when they can cope with the outcome whatever that might be,” Salvation Army’s Family Tracing Service spokesperson Maria Merle said.
“Some people have a strong belief that the missing party might want to cease contact with them but that is not always the case.”
The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service has been operating in Australia since the 1920s.
It says it has a 75 per cent success rate in locating missing relatives and on average reunites 40 families each week.
About 38,000 people are reported missing every year in Australia.Most of these are found, however of these 1600 will still remain disconnected from their families and loved ones.
“If the relative is located then mediation is provided, as needed for reconciliation and additional support if offered for people whose relatives cannot be found,” Ms Merle said.
“The Salvation Army also run ‘special search services’ on behalf of the New South Wales and Queensland State governments for adults who were separated from their families as children through adoption, foster care or being placed in children’s homes.”
To find out more about The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service, visit their website or call (02) 9211-0277.
[Photo: QPS]
External links:
- Queensland Missing Persons (AFP)
- Queensland Missing Persons (QPS)
