Filenews 20 August 2023
More than 500 people disappear every year with the phenomenon reaching epidemic proportions and the police changing tactics and signing protocols.
From a few hours to weeks or months, minors to elderly people are reported missing from their homes or shelters.
Often, mainly minors, leave the accommodation areas by the Social Welfare Services, resulting in the detection mechanisms based on a special protocol. There are also cases where people disappear from the face of the earth and are never detected: either they fell victim to a crime, or they left Cyprus and gave no signs of life.
After the cases of women murdered by the serial killer, the police changed tactics, took measures and the situation improved. Today, separate bulletins are issued for missing persons, while when it comes to minors, an alarm is raised, a child alert is issued, where non-governmental organizations are also mobilized.
Because every day the Police announce disappearances of persons and what manipulations are done, "F" spoke with criminologist Kyriaki Lambrianidou Police Inspector B, assistant Director of the Crime Fighting Department, responsible for the Subdirectorate for the Management of Vulnerable Persons (YDYEP) at the Police Headquarters.
As he explains, the investigation/handling of cases of missing persons is a matter of high priority for the Police. After receiving a complaint about a missing person, the Police carry out a risk assessment and take immediate action to locate the missing person. Especially in the case of vulnerable persons, i.e. minors under the age of 18, persons over 65 years of age and persons whose disappearance gives rise to reasonable suspicion that they have suffered some harm, or are victims of a crime and persons over 18 who have health problems or other problems with the risk of causing harm to themselves, where early detection is crucial, the Police are immediately mobilised.
The responsibility for investigating cases of vulnerable missing persons, Ms Lambrianidou stresses, lies with the district Crime Detection Departments (ICF), while for non-vulnerable persons, the investigation is initially undertaken by the local police stations and in case the missing person is not located within 24 hours, the case is transferred to the Crime Detection Department (ICF) for further investigation.
The investigation of these cases is determined by a Police Order which includes a Protocol of Actions which is a valuable tool in identifying missing persons, on the basis of which the roles and actions of the members of the Police are determined, which are immediately activated in any incident of missing person. It should be noted that the Protocol of Actions applies in cases of missing persons and does not concern foreigners who leave their places of residence and work, where the District Units of the Aliens and Immigration Service undertake the investigation.
As the Police officer notes, the immediate receipt of a statement from the person giving the information, about a missing person, is an important source of information and data, as each case is unique and will assist the Police in taking action to locate him. Furthermore, ensuring the required information when taking a statement about the missing person is of paramount importance in terms of risk assessment and the direction of investigations to be followed by the Police with primary concern the protection of human life. Among other things, information is obtained about the circumstances and reasons for disappearance, the state of mental and physical health of the missing person, or if he is taking any medication, if there are indications whether he will cause harm to himself or if he has attempted it in the past, or whether there is a suspicion of a criminal act, etc., where they are indicative factors for determining the risk.
The assessment of the circumstances and risks faced by the missing person is an important part of the direction of police investigations. Very often, however, the information upon receipt of the complaint is not clear and therefore careful collection and investigation of the initial evidence by the members of the Police is required in order to determine the necessary actions.
According to Mrs. Labrianidou, the disappearances of minors under the age of 18 are of paramount importance, which is why they are classified in the category of "Vulnerable Missing Persons" and the investigation of these cases is undertaken from the beginning by the District ICF where the complaint was received that a person is missing within its territorial competence. In cases where minors under the age of 18, who reside in shelters/institutions under the care of the Social Welfare Services (SWS), leave their place of residence and their whereabouts are unknown, there is cooperation between the Police and the SWS.
The recent conclusion and signing of the Protocol of Actions of the Police and Social Welfare Services for missing minors under the care of the Director of SWS, strengthens and better coordinates the cooperation between the two services that already existed, in order to ensure the welfare of children and their rapid identification.
Furthermore, she points out, in recent years the number of foreigners entering Cyprus and seeking international protection has increased significantly. A large number of these persons are hosted in the Pournara Temporary Accommodation Centre. Many of these people end up in Cyprus without it being their true will and often express a desire to move to other European countries. It is for this reason that they leave without declaring it and despite the actions taken they are not detected.
Seven actions
According to the protocol, the Police and the Social Welfare Services take the following actions in case of disappearance of a minor from structures:
a) Initially, the SWS officers undertake the first actions to locate the child, such as attempting to contact the child by telephone, communicating with relatives and friends, collecting information from other children or other employees of the institution, going to possible places where the child can be located, etc.
(b) If all the above actions are exhausted and the child is not located within 4 to 5 hours from the time his absence was noticed, the on-duty institutional or social welfare officer initially informs the district ICF by telephone and then gives a relevant statement.
(c) ICF members take all necessary steps to identify the minor and a risk assessment is carried out.
(d) If the minor concerned systematically leaves his/her place of residence, initial investigations to locate him/her shall focus on places and/or persons to whom he/she had refuge or had meetings during his/her previous absences.
(e) Furthermore, in the context of the search, investigations and communication with other police stations, hospitals and medical centers are carried out and, depending on the case, actions are taken to locate the missing child, as mentioned in the relevant protocol of the Police Order.
(f) The child's photograph is made public, if it is deemed necessary to safeguard the vital interest of the data subject and provided that the circumstances justify it and the Non-Governmental Organizations, Hope for Children and SPAVO are informed about the activation of the Child Alert. Furthermore, the process of issuing a yellow notice (YELLOW NOTICE) for search at international level, through INTERPOL
g) When the child is located by the Police, its guardian is immediately informed and the child is transferred to the ICF, where the competent social welfare officer goes at the same time. At the ICF, the minor is interviewed by a member of the Police in the presence of the officer and, depending on the incidents, for the purpose of further management of the children and understanding the reasons for absconding, as well as possible victimization of the child.
It is emphasized that the measure of interviews helps to identify the reasons that lead the minor child to leave his place of residence to take measures for the welfare of the child.
It is also vital to take immediate action to identify the missing in cases where disappearances of elderly persons are reported, who often suffer from organic psychosyndromes such as Alzheimer's, senile dementia, etc. In these cases, immediate action is taken mainly at operational level and by mapping the area where there is information that the missing person is likely to be. The role of the Police is essential and several persons have been identified in recent years of old age who either lose their orientation or due to the organic psychosyndromes they face, move away from their place of residence and become unable to understand the various dangers they run. The immediate response of the Police with all the means available to the Police(land, air and sea) has been life-saving on several occasions.
105 people missing
Since 1990 they have been the oldest recorded cases of missing persons, among whom there were suspicions that a criminal act was behind it.
In Nicosia for the years 1990-2019, 10 persons are missing, of which 3 are third-country nationals, 1 European and 7 minors, all asylum seekers. Also, from 2020 until today, 30 persons are missing, of which 22 are minors, third-country nationals. Typical is the case of Hisa Hamid Kuwaita, 22 years old, who has been missing since 16/8/1990. Also, the mysterious disappearance of 23-year-old Russian Maxim Alexandrovich Polyansky on 8/5/1994 had concerned the authorities who attributed it to a criminal act.
In Limassol, 12 Cypriots, 2 Europeans, one minor asylum seeker and seven third-country nationals are still missing. From 2020 until today, five persons are missing. Typical is the case of Doctor George Kinnis who disappeared on 8/5/2001 and has not been located since. The oldest missing case in the province is that of the Municipality of Savvas Charis, 72 years old from Saittas, whose traces were lost on 31/7/1990.
In Larnaka from 2002-2023 21 persons remain missing. The cases of brothers Nikos and Kyriakos Synesis, 28 and 31 years old, who lived in Kofinou, who disappeared on 15/2/2003, stand out.
In Pafos from 1990 until today 12 persons are missing.
Since 1992, five people have been missing in Famagusta, including one minor. The case of Emilios Yiannis Kotas from Liopetri, 26 years old, who mysteriously disappeared on 15/6/1994 and until today has not been located, stands out.
12 MINORS DISAPPEARED FROM
POURNARA ACCOMMODATION CENTER
A special case is minors residing in Pournara as well as other persons whose real desire is to go to another European country.
As Lambrianidou underlines, a number of people have been identified as having departed outside Cyprus at their own request through the occupied areas. Furthermore, many persons attempted to depart outside Cyprus through Larnaka and Pafos airports with false passport details where a criminal case is registered against them. There are also a number of persons who report that they are minors and before the examination for age certification, they leave the Accommodation Center. Periodically, a number of these persons return to the Accommodation Centre citing various reasons for absconding, which are mainly personal. Today, 12 minors are reported missing.
