Filenews 10 October 2021 - by Michalis Hatzivasili
"Maria is missing from her home ... 15 years old. Upon her disappearance she was wearing a black blouse, jeans pants. It is described...". The disappearances of civilians have now become a daily occurrence. Minors, young people, the elderly, locals, foreigners and even families disappear from the face of the earth and the authorities are mobilized to locate them.
Every minute has its significance, whether it is an elderly person suffering from dementia, a minor who may be in danger of falling into the hands of cunning people, or someone who disappears and behind this act there may be a criminal act. The disappearances of women who fell victim to the serial killer have changed the way the Police deal with each case individually. The mishap became a lesson for the authorities who believed that most of the foreigners "went to the occupied territories". Now everything is working according to protocol and the mobilization is immediate.
Behind each disappearance lies a story, either because a minor reacted after an incident with his family, or because an elderly man lost his orientation, or because a foreigner fled abroad without giving signs of life. Whatever the reason for the lack of someone, the authorities are obliged to move immediately, especially when it concerns people from the "vulnerable groups", says to "F" the Deputy Police Officer Michalis Gavriilidis, head of the Branches for the Investigation of Sexual Abuse of Minors & Missing Persons, of the Subdivision for the Investigation of Cases of Vulnerable Persons of the Department of Crime Control. At the moment, 82 persons are declared missing, but the situation is changing, and every year more than 500 people who disappear are declared and then identified. Some are detected a few hours after their disappearance is made public and others after days or even weeks.
-Every day the Police announces disappearances of persons, either domestic or foreign. How does the competent Office deal with these cases?
- The activation of the Police is immediate in cases where missing persons are reported, especially in cases where the disappearance of persons concerns children, for whom there are reasonable suspicions that they are in danger, where it is considered of the utmost importance and it is an essential condition that they are immediately located.
In this context, the Missing Persons Branch of the Subdivision for the Investigation of Cases of Vulnerable Persons, the Department of Crime Prevention, the Police Headquarters, checks whether the members investigating these cases have immediately activated all the actions provided for.
- The Police were criticised for the way they handled the complaints about the cases of missing women who eventually fell victim to the serial killer. What has changed in the handling of such cases?
- After the specific cases and the experience and the gaps identified, in addition to the creation of the Missing Persons Branch, as an important tool for the control and coordination of actions by the members of the Police investigating such cases, the special and strict protocol of actions has been drawn up and applied for the investigation of cases by the investigators.
The purpose of the Protocol is to define the roles and actions of the members of the Police, which should be activated in every incident of a missing person, who is considered to be in danger. For us, each case is now unique and the investigators apply the Protocol, immediately and effectively, in order to identify the missing person. Also, the training of our members on this subject has been intensified, both in the early stages of their integration into the Police Academy, as well as with continuous training programs, later in their careers.
Certainly, we are evolving both in terms of adapting new ways of investigating these cases, as well as in collaborations with all Departments and Organizations, governmental and non-governmental, citizens, including also in our actions the use of new technologies to identify people at risk.
- From the moment a person is reported missing, what actions does the Police take?
- When information is received or it is reported that a person is missing, a statement is immediately taken from the person giving the information or even reports on the missing person with all the details needed for the investigation.
Depending on the case, a risk assessment and reassessment is carried out, i.e. an assessment of the circumstances and risks faced by the missing person, as well as the clarification of the possible offences committed, which are the most important stages of the investigation.
The Protocol of Actions is immediately activated, by conducting checks, communications with people who can give information or testimonies about the disappearance, investigations in places where a testimony or identification of the missing person may be found. Communication and cooperation with other services such as hospitals, ports, airports, crossing points to the occupied areas, etc.
Also, a photograph of the missing person is published in the media, asking for the help of the public for any information regarding the location of the person in question. Here I would like to stress that the help of the public in these cases is extremely important and to express my warm thanks for all the citizens who have so far contributed in any way to identifying a missing person.
Also important is the contribution of other Services such as the Department of Forests, the Fire Brigade, the National Guard, the Game Fund, the voluntary Organizations, etc., which with their know-how and their contribution to the investigations with human resources, facilitate the work of the Police in identifying the missing.
I would like to stress that in case the missing person is a foreigner, a check is carried out through the Asylum Service, the Civil Registry Department, the Aliens & Immigration Service (UNHCR). In case there is information or suspicion that the missing person is in the occupied areas, the assistance of the Bicommunal Commission on Crime is requested. It is noted that a case is closed only when it is established beyond doubt that a missing person is either alive or in any other situation. Otherwise, the envelope is left open forever.
- Where does the Police focus on missing persons (who are considered vulnerable persons)?
- As far as the "Vulnerable Missing Persons" are concerned, these include:
(a) Persons whose disappearance gives rise to a reasonable suspicion that they have suffered harm or are victims of a crime;
(b) All persons under the age of 18,
(c) Persons over 18 years of age who face health problems such as epilepsy, diabetes, amnesia, serious health problems, mobility problems, mental problems, suicidal tendencies, psychological problems or others which should be addressed without delay, and
(d) Persons over 65 years of age,
The investigation of cases concerning "Vulnerable Missing Persons" is undertaken exclusively by the provincial T.A.E., where their disappearance was found.
As I mentioned above, the activation of the Police is immediate in cases where missing persons are reported, especially in cases where the disappearance concerns vulnerable persons, for whom there are reasonable suspicions that they are in danger, where it is considered of the utmost importance and it is an essential condition that they are immediately located.
No case is closed until detection
- There are individuals who have been declared as missing since 1990 or 2000. What does the Police think is behind their disappearance and whether any action is being taken today to clear their fate?
- There are individuals who are declared from many years ago, for whom there is various information regarding their disappearance. The information relates to either a criminal act or their flight abroad or other reasons. However, as I mentioned above, no case is closed until the missing person is identified. The cases are activated immediately, with any new information that comes to the knowledge of the Police and is examined in detail.
- There are persons who come to Cyprus with one name and depart with another. What about these individuals, do they remain as missing?
- These cases mainly concern persons coming from third countries who arrive in Cyprus as migrants and then travel to the central EU, with false travel documents or through the occupied ones to other destinations. And in this case, no case is closed until the missing person is identified.
- In which cases is the Police immediately mobilized after the report of a missing person (kidnapping, abduction, etc.)?
- The Police are immediately activated for all complaints when there is a missing person. There is no exception. When a complaint is submitted, a study of the degree of risk of that person is initially carried out.
In the event that during the investigation evidence is obtained or evidence is presented, which creates reasonable suspicions that the missing person may be the victim of kidnapping, or of another crime (e.g. murder, attempted murder, robbery, etc.), the investigating judge, along with the implementation of the Protocol, also investigates the information by how much any criminal act has been committed.
- Today, with social media, it is easier to inform more people, while at the same time the Police monitor the accounts of missing persons. How do you take advantage of NPLs to identify missing persons?
- In cases where the missing person maintains social media accounts, the person's details (social media accounts) are immediately sent to the Electronic Crime Subdivision for an audit.
- Do you cooperate with other countries or the European Police to identify a missing person?
- We keep in touch with other countries in carrying out specialized trainings, we draw experiences both from our own affairs, but also experiences from foreign countries in handling cases of missing persons. We have very good cooperation with the National Offices of INTERPOL and EUROPOL and we are also taking part in a specialised GROUP of EU experts on this issue.
Conflicts and criminal acts
- From your experience of the cases being investigated, what are the main causes that someone disappears from their place of residence?
- The main causes that someone disappears from his place of residence, are mainly emotional reasons, conflicting relationships in the family, psychological reasons (tendencies of suicides), people in old age where they lose their orientation, reactionary behaviour of minors in the context of their family or their stay in a Shelter, criminal act or flight abroad from foreigners.
The Police website lists all missing persons, with the oldest being sought since 1990.
In Nicosia, the oldest declared missing is HISA HAMID KUWAITA from S. Arabia which is absent from its residence in Nicosia from 22.30 to 16.8.90. He was 22 years old when he disappeared, 1.62 m high, of moderate physique, with a white face, brown eyes and black short hair. He was wearing a colorful top. He is deaf.
In Limassol, the oldest person declared to be extinct is the Municipality of Savvas Haris from Saittas, who has been absent from his residence since 31.7.90. He was 72 years old. He was last seen at 1500 hours on 31.7.90 and was swimming in the area of "LADY'S MILE" in Limassol. Since then, his tracks have been lost.
Typical is the case of Dr. Georgios Kinni whose traces had disappeared in Limassol from 8.5.01. He is about 1.74 m high, of a slim physique, bald, with a beard. He wore dark-coloured jeans and a yellow short-sleeved shirt. For his case, extensive investigations were carried out by the Police, but his whereabouts disappeared and various scenarios were made even for a criminal act. Since then there has been no signs of life.
In Larnaca, Vassos Constantinou from England, 28 years old, who lived at his cousin's residence in Larnaca, is absent from 7.7.02. He is of a strong physique, 1.80m high, with black hair and brown eyes.
Typical is the case of Kyriakos Kannas Synessis, 28 years old and Nikos Theodoulou Synesis 31 years old both from Kofinou, who disappeared from their residences from 15.2.03. Since then, despite the investigations, their traces have not been found.
In the Famagusta district, a typical case is the case of Emilios Yiannis Kotas from Liopetri, 26 years old, who disappeared from his residence from 15.6.' 94. He is about 1.70 m high, of thin physique, brunette, with black short hair and a small thin moustache. He wore blue jeans and white shoes. For the case, various actions were taken to locate him without result. It is one of the oldest cases of a disappeared person.
From 31/12/1990, Antonis Charalambous Kakkitzis disappeared from Paphos, from Argaka, 85 years old. He is described as 1.75m high, bald and the last time he was sighted he wore grey pants and blue top.
It is noted that in the province of Morfou there is no person who is missing.
We try to stop the escapes of minors from Homes
- Also, there are people, mainly minors, who live in state homes, who are regularly declared as missing. What happens to these people?
- In the cases of minors and especially children coming from the Juvenile Shelters, there is a different approach to investigating cases.
Within the framework of the Cooperation Protocol between the Ministry of Justice and Public Order and the NGOs, Hope for Children CRC Policy Center (HFC) and the Association for the Prevention and Confrontation of Violence in the Family (SPAVO), mutual information and cooperation are provided to ensure the fast identification of minors.
We also have direct cooperation with all services, such as Social Welfare Services, Mental Health Services and other bodies where everyone is activated. Furthermore, in multidisciplinary meetings we discuss each case separately with all the competent Services for joint actions both for tracing and avoiding the flight of minors. It should be noted that everyone's effort is focused on finding a solution to these escapes. We are talking about children who are very vulnerable, with particular sensitivities, who live in special circumstances. There is a very important collaboration to stop these escapes.
