What would you do if your sibling, parent or child vanished. No note, no warning, nothing. Just an empty space where they used to be.
The reality of it is that over 250,000 people just disappear every year. 150 people a week in Wales. That’s 250,000 families that have to go through what must be an unimaginable period of time, without a doubt blaming themselves for their loved one going missing.
But there is no single reason as to why someone would go missing. The University of York released a study that says a continuous scale is a better way of finding reason behind it. And, as well as there not being one reason, there is no clear definition of what it is to be missing.
Many adults go missing intentionally. Photo by Jack Wetherill.
An adult may decide to cut off ties with their family and friends in hopes of a new start in a new life, but a child may be forcefully abducted. An elderly person might wander into unfamiliar surroundings, or an unlucky unemployed person might have no other choice than to leave their home. These people would all be missing, but their reasons are completely different.
How long are people missing for?
You may find it surprising that a majority of missing people cases reported are for under 18-year-olds. Children between the ages of 12 and 17 are the most likely. Can you honestly say you never tried to run away from home as a teen? What if you never came back? In younger people girls are more likely to go missing, however in adults it’s men.
There are currently 21 people registered as missing with the charity Missing People in Wales and 20 of them are male. The only woman, Catherine Longwani, was 39 when she disappeared from Wrexham. She has been missing over a year.
Most missing people are found within a week and even more are found within a year of their disappearance, with children being found quicker, generally.
Unfortunately, though, this doesn’t always happen. Robert Williams was 15 when he went missing from Neath in West Glamorgan. That was in March 2002. Police have concluded that the most likely outcome is that Robert, who would be 23 now, has died some time in the 12 years since he went missing.
His mum, Cheryl Davies, was devastated when police closed Robert’s case. She said, “Losing a child is the worst thing that a parent can ever go through – deep down you don’t want to accept it.” And what only makes the sadness worse is that Robert’s family will not have a grave to visit.
Why do people disappear?
The general rule is that children do not go missing on purpose. You never, as a child, run away from home intending to never come back. But they may be taken against their will, too.
An elderly Alzheimer’s patient might wander, lose their bearings and find themselves in an unknown place. Not many people in that situation would have a way to contact their families and return home.
Motives in adults vary hugely. As mentioned, they might intentionally move away and cut ties. Or this could happen over a period of time unintentionally. Their family and friends may still describe them as missing. Other reasons include, but are not limited to: alcohol or drug problems, unemployment or financial worries, violence and mental health issues.
But for many, the experience of being missing is, shockingly, often quite positive. Almost three quarters of people surveyed by the University of York found positivity after going missing.
For others, even when disappearing intentionally, the experience can be very unpleasant.
In a document by Glasgow and Dundee University – sharing the stories of missing people – Andrew* went missing for four weeks. He said, “A lot of it has to do with mental illness. That’s my personal experience and a lot of people aren’t comfortable admitting it, but I have to because it’s the only way I’m going to manage not to be reported missing again and be pushed to go running away.”
Whilst missing, he stayed in cheap hotels and on the streets. Of all of the adults who go missing, 28% admit they slept rough at some point during their time away. Over a third of missing people said they felt in danger, too. Sleeping rough, whether through choice or not, is dangerous. But some people have no choice.
Imagine yourself as the missing person. Cold, lost, maybe even adamant you won’t contact loved ones. They don’t have to be missing, and there are charities that help. If you could, wouldn’t you just go home?
*Names in the report were changed to protect anonymity.