Missing people conference at Abertay

The first day of an international conference on missing people began on Wednesday, bringing together a host of experts in the field.

The event, hosted by Abertay University, will see academics, police experts and policy makers from around the world gather for a three-day seminar in which it is hoped the pooling of knowledge will help find solutions to serious missing person issues.

One of the key aspects of the conference is on how better to understand the “return process” by speaking to former missing people.

It’s hoped that gaining an in-depth understanding on this will help reveal why more than 300,000 people go missing across the UK every year.

Conference organiser, Dr Penny Woolnough of Abertay University, said it was important to make sure those in the field worked closely to understand and analyse why people go missing.

She said: “There’s a common thread that runs through all of this and that’s why it’s important for agencies to come together and thrash out how we can make advances.

“Mental health issues are an important factor and there are others issues that depend on age and sex.

“Another element being explored is how we can use new technology to change the way we understand and respond to missing people.”