Children in care make up one third of all missing kids
CHILDREN in care were reported missing more often than any other group in Glasgow last year.
Vulnerable children under the care of the local authority made up a third of the total number of missing person cases for Police Scotland throughout 2018.
More than 705 cases involving looked-after and accommodated youngsters were recorded by officers, while 398 non-looked after kids disappeared.
Figures obtained by the Evening Times through a Freedom of Information request revealed that children overall accounted for more than half of all of Glasgow’s “misper” probes.
The figures come after it was revealed that just five children in care accounted for more than 350 Police Scotland missing persons investigations between 2017 and 2018.
Cared-for adults also made up a significant part of the figures, with 311 reports made to authorities.
Throughout the year, the force recorded 2,096 missing persons reports, with four people having been found dead in ‘not circumstances’.
Across Glasgow, 682 adults, over the age 18, were reported missing. The majority of those were reported from the Govan and Craigton, and East Centre and Calton local command areas.
A spokesman from NSPCC Scotland said: “Children go missing from care for many reasons – for example they’re being bullied or they’ve been placed in a home away from their family and they miss them and their friends. suspicious
“Children who go missing are at a greater risk of physical abuse, grooming and sexual exploitation and we know that children in care are significantly more likely to run away than their peers. Many will have been abused before being placed in care and need a great deal of attention and protection.
“That’s why it’s crucial for all looked-after children to have consistent and sensitive support in a caring environment to help them overcome their early life experiences.”