James Brokenshire MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime and Security, visited the Missing People offices today, to celebrate the launch of the Government’s Missing Children and Adults’ Strategy, a landmark event for the protection of the estimated 250,000 people who go missing each year in the UK and their families left behind.

James Brokenshire MP was joined by families of missing people including Peter Lawrence, father of missing Chef Claudia, Rachel Elias, sister of missing Richard Edwards from the band Manic Street Preachers, Ben Moore, brother of missingThomas Moore and  Sarah Godwin, mother of missing Quentin Godwin.

The new strategy aims to reduce the number of people who go missing; to protect the missing whilst they are away and to give families of missing people access to support, similar to victims of crime.

Martin Houghton-Brown, Chief Executive of Missing People said, “Historically, if your house was burgled you would get automatically get offers of support but if you’re child went missing you may have got nothing. This strategy will change that.

The police will now be required to signpost families of missing people to help available, from the lifeline that Missing People provides 24 hours a day, and other services such as family counselling, to the specialist agencies, such as CEOP for online protection of missing children and PACT on parental abduction.

Ann Coffey MP, chair of the All Party Group for Missing and Runaway Children and Adults, said: "Protecting missing children and vulnerable adults and providing effective support for their families is crucial".

Today’s launch follows 12 months of campaigning by Missing People which led to the recent Justice Select Committee’s inquiry into Presumption of Death and Guardianship.

Martin Houghton-Brown concludes: “We are delighted that today begins a new way of looking at the needs and rights of missing people across the UK.”

Click here to download a copy of the cross government strategy

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