The Epidemic of Missing Persons in Canada

Each year over 70,000 persons go missing in Canada. Men, women, youth and children go missing for often very different and specific reasons. Amongst adults, an intention to commit suicide is one factor for disappearance. There are also adults who deliberately disappear to escape overwhelming circumstances or situations such as financial issues, family break down or other overstress. Some are adventure or accident victims who experience a traumatic event. In other instances, individuals become drifters for unknown reasons and lose contact with family or friends. There are also disappearances due to underlying mental health issues and illnesses as well such as psychosis or addictions.

Foul play is another factor in missing person cases and although represent the lesser of statistics, however, is a serious issue for many and includes the high number of missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada. Foul play includes homicide, human trafficking, kidnapping, domestic violence and other criminal events. Last year alone, 50,492 children were reported missing in Canada through child abductions, parental kidnapping, sexual exploitation, internet luring and some were runaways. Regardless of the reason for the disappearance whether it be an adult or a child, it can be devastating for loved ones.

Source:

CCIMA, Canadian Centre for Information on Missing Adults

The Canadian Missing Kids News Magazine

The National Centre for Missing Person and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR), is Canada's national centre that provides law enforcement, medical examiners and chief coroners with specialized investigative services in support of missing persons and unidentified remains investigations. It's operations include management of databases and a public website, support to law enforcement partners. It also provides enhanced specialized services to investigators such as Age Progression, Amber Alert, Travel Reunification and Facial Approximation. The NCMPUR resides within the RCMP's Canadian Police Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (CPCMEC). It produces fact sheets on missing persons in Canada. In 2014, the last complied Fact Sheet was released and the following facts state:

• In 2014, 20, 871 adults went missing in Canada. Of this total, 27 were abducted by a stranger, 137 had an accident, 1527 wandered off, 15 were abducted by a parent, 4176 were runaways, 12,871 were unknown reasons and 2118 were listed as 'other'.
• 67% of missing adult reports were removed within 24 hours, while 85% were removed within a week

• In 2014, 40,342 youth or children went missing in Canada. Of this total, 29 were abducted by a stranger, 28 had an accident, 230 wandered off, 122 were by parental abduction, 30,689 were runaways, 8515 were listed as unknown and 1499 were 'other'.

• 65% of missing children/youth reports were removed within 24 hours, while 87% were removed within a week
• Youth between the age of 14-15 make up 43% of missing children/youth reports
• By these facts, it appears the highest known categories are 'runaway' for both missing adults and missing youth/children.

In terms of missing people in Canada, missing aboriginal women rates are high in proportion to other missing cases especially in comparison to the total proportion of missing women. This is a staggering issue where women are often the victim of violence and domestic violence and inequality is an unaddressed issue.

Here are 5 key stats about the last three decades that sum up the injustice:

• 1,017 aboriginal women have been murdered; another 164 are still considered missing. This "exceeds previous public estimates."
• The rate of homicide per 100,000 is 4.45 for aboriginal women compared to 0.90 for non-aboriginal women.

• Aboriginal women account for 4.3% of the overall Canadian female population;

• But account for 11.3% of the cases of missing women;

• And represent 16% of female homicides.

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

All reports of missing persons should be reported to one's local city police or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who work in tandem to solve missing persons cases. The National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR) is Canada's national centre that provides law enforcement, medical examiners and chief coroners with specialized investigative services in support of missing persons and unidentified remains investigations.

The Government of Canada has also created a website called 'Canada's Missing'. This website gives the opportunity to members of the public to become informed of these situations and provide tips on specific missing persons and unidentified remains cases. Members of the public can access the website to perform searches of the published cases and submit tips. Its specific purpose is to solicit information from the public in order to assist the primary investigator or coroner/medical examiner in resolving an investigation. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the RCMP's National Crime Stoppers Website. Statistics on missing persons is collected by Statistics Canada for public access.

It should be noted that on the topic of the missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada, that amidst protests and public requests, calls for a national inquiry have been denied by the current Conservative federal government.

Report a Missing Person/Unidentified Remains

If you need to report a missing child/person, please contact your local police service, or dial 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency.

If you have located unidentified remains believed to be human, please contact your local police service, or dial 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency.

Report a Sighting of a Missing Person

If you believe you have seen a missing person, you can:

1. Contact directly the investigating police service. This information is provided at the bottom of every case detail page;
2. Contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or at their website at www.canadiancrimestoppers.org;
3. Contact the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains at CanadasMissing-DisparusCanada@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

In the case of an emergency, please dial 9-1-1.

Submit a Tip

If you have information that may help a specific investigation, you can:

1. Contact directly the investigating police service. This information is provided at the bottom of every case detail page;
2. Contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or at their website at www.canadiancrimestoppers.org;
3. Contact the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains at CanadasMissing-DisparusCanada@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

In the case of an emergency, please dial 9-1-1.