348 Children Go Missing

Counting: Police Statistics Say A Lost Child Is Reported Every Five Hours

- Masoka Dube

A growing number of children are going missing in South Africa every day and police statistics show a child is reported missing every five hours. Police figures indicate that out of the 348 children who were reported missing from September 2023 to February 2024, only 207 were found, while 141 are missing.

Bianca van Aswegen, a criminologist and national coordinator for Missing Children South Africa, said previous figures released by the South African Police Service (Saps) missing persons bureau for 2013 indicated that children go missing every five hours.

Aswegen also said statistics indicated 77% of children were found.

"Sadly, this still leaves us with at least 23% of the children being either never found, trafficked or found deceased. Children are also the most vulnerable victims of gender-based violence," she said.

"The reality is shocking and undeniable and we can no longer be innocent bystanders to this fact."