Missing Persons Uncovered

Missing and Social Work

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 11:30:37 GMT

In this episode we talk with Carolyn Fair and Kathy Marriott. The aim of the episode is to explore the complex issue of children who go missing, share insights from frontline social workers, highlight effective practices, and discuss how social services can better safeguard vulnerable young people.

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Missing Persons from Hospitals

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 07:48:49 GMT

In this episode we talk with Robert Cocks from Locate International focusing on people who go missing from hospitals. From vulnerable mental health patients to those undergoing routine treatment, we discuss how individuals in supposed places of safety manage to disappear, and why these cases frequently fall through the cracks of the system. Robert Cocks unpacks the patterns, institutional oversights, and urgent need for reform in how hospital disappearances are tracked and handled. Who is responsible when a patient disappears? And how can these systems be changed to prevent future tragedies?

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Data Intelligence for Missing and Trafficking in Persons

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 08:25:26 GMT

In this episode we talk to Marinus Analytics with a focus on how data analytics can help discover patterns in human trafficking and missing people. Specifically, how their team is using artificial intelligence to find the missing—and hold traffickers accountable.

Cara Jones and Colin Ward are partnering with child welfare agencies and law enforcement to help identify missing youth through Ai and facial recognition in potential online exploitation posts.

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Missing in Africa

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 09:44:14 GMT

In this episode, Maryana and Damon shine a spotlight on the often-overlooked crisis of missing children in Uganda and Kenya. They delve into the complex realities behind the disappearances, exploring factors such as human trafficking, poverty, weak law enforcement response, and systemic corruption. With a blend of local insights, and advocacy perspectives, Maryana and Damon uncover the scale of the issue and the devastating impact it has on families and communities. They also highlight the critical need for awareness, accountability, and increased grassroots efforts to protect vulnerable children.

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Missing and Human Rights

Fri, 30 May 2025 04:00:00 GMT

In this episode we talk to Altin Hazizaj discussing how the disappearance of individuals is not just a tragedy, but a human rights violation. We discuss how going missing can be right to life and personal freedom but at the same time a violation. International human rights law obligates states to prevent disappearances, investigate them promptly, punish those responsible, and provide remedies to victims and families. Additionally, from research, it is known that marginalized groups—like migrants, Indigenous communities, are disproportionately affected and often reflect a systemic inequality.

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Missing Abroad

Fri, 16 May 2025 05:59:27 GMT

In this episode we talk to Bill Andrerson from Locate International, an NGO that raises awareness and investigates cold cases including situations where people go missing abroad. Each year, thousands of people go missing while traveling, living, or working abroad due to a range of circumstances. Disappearances may result from accidents, natural disasters, crime, or abduction, including cases linked to human trafficking or violence. Mental health issues can also lead individuals to become lost or disoriented, while some choose to disappear voluntarily to escape personal problems. Efforts to locate missing persons abroad face challenges such as jurisdictional barriers, lack of local resources, language and cultural differences, and delayed reporting by family members.

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Enforced Disappearances

Fri, 02 May 2025 09:09:38 GMT

In this podcast with Aurora Perez Flores and Busra Sarac, we talk about the serious issue of enforced disappearance—when people are secretly taken, often by authorities, and never seen again. They share their personal experiences working with families who are left with no answers, living in pain and uncertainty. Enforced disappearances are commonly seen in places with conflict or oppressive governments. Aurora and Busra also highlight through their regional expertise of Latin America and Middle East how hard it is to work in this field with the lack of consistent information and the lack of coordination.

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Missing and Autism

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 09:25:33 GMT

People with autism face unique challenges that can make them more vulnerable to wandering, exploitation, and miscommunication with law enforcement. We talk to Tanja Conway-Grim, Senior specialist ND coach and Alan Nanavaty, Executive Director at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children about the resources and mechanisms on how to keep people with autism safe.

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Intelligence and Missing Persons Investigations

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 07:41:55 GMT

In the first episode, we talk to Scott Fitzmaurice from Forensic Analytics and Dr. Mark Harrison and explore the importance of intelligence in a missing person investigation. Effective intelligence building can aid in identifying patterns, tracking movements, and uncovering potential risks, with collaboration extending beyond law enforcement to include various agencies.

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The support mechanisms for LGBTQ+ community when they go missing

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 12:00:50 GMT

In our last episode for Season 3, Karen talks to Dr. Brian Frederick about the vulnerability of going missing within the LGBTQ+ community. He explains the importance of providing support and safe spaces for vulnerable young people. He is currently conducting a landscape analysis on what kind of resources countries have for LGBTQ+ community.

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How effective are we inrecognizing missing people from public appeals?

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:00:35 GMT

Can we recognize a missing person when they stand in front of us? Dr. Stefana Juncu shares with us her research on how accurate visual identification of a missing person can be. She explains the most effective ways for a public appeal to be successul in engaging the public in the recovery of a missing person.

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Providing a voice to the voiceless

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 12:07:57 GMT

Willie Fouche explains how in his Forensic Pathology Service they help identify individuals who have no forensic or digital identity. Many of the unclaimed bodies he encounters are stateless and can only be identified through collaboration and using multiple investigative techniques.

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How is Europe tackling the unaccompanied missing minors crisis

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 12:00:54 GMT

In recent years, Europe has witnessed a surge in human mobility, which regrettably includes children. In 2022, the influx of migrant children into Europe rose by almost 50% compared to the previous year. Tragically, a significant portion of these children subsequently go missing. NGOs such as Child Focus and Missing Children Europe are dedicated to aiding in the search for these missing children.

According to Lost in Europe, a cross-border journalism project investigating the disappearance of child migrants in Europe more than 51,000 unaccompanied minors went missing in Europe between 2021-2023.

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The importance of case reviews and the use of technology in cold cases

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 12:00:24 GMT

In this episode Karen talks to Cheryl about long term missing cases and how challenging they are to investigate. The need to use new technology and investigative methods to help bring closure to families.

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The critial balance between high publicity appeals and privacy for the missing person

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:00:50 GMT

In this episode we talk to Simona Ciobotaru, Senior Lecturer in Cybercrime at the University of Portsmouth about the complex issue of media bias on missing person cases. Research has shown that media has been bias to highlighting white women who are missing then others. We discuss why and how we can help to change it?

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How is trauma therapy helping after a missing episode?

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 12:00:31 GMT

In this episode, Karen talks to Pascale Waschnig about different forms of trauma encountered during a missing episode and from services that are in contact with relatives of missing people and how art can assist in expressing the trauma a person has experienced.

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What are families faced with when a person is missing?

Wed, 22 May 2024 12:00:33 GMT

Parental alienation is a label which is popularly used to describe a dynamic where a child rejects a parent. Karen Woodall is a psychotherapist who treats this problem from a relational perspective recognising that children who reject a parent are usually those who are hyper aligned to a caregiver who is causing them harm. Thinking about the issue from the experience of the child, offers a clearer understanding of this much misunderstood problem in family separation.

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Missing Young Girls in Nigeria used in Baby factories

Wed, 08 May 2024 12:00:49 GMT

In this episode, Karen talks to Ugochi Nkwunonwo about her recent research in baby factories in Nigeria. Young girls who are pregnant are stigmatised in Nigeria. To avoid shame they disappear and sometimes end up in baby factories where they give birth and lose their newborn. Not only is the young girl missing but the newborn is also missing as it has no identity.

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Sexual Exploitation and Missing

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 12:00:20 GMT

Karen and Caroline discuss how sexual exploitation can be a factor for a person to go missing. They talk about the pull and push factors and the need for collaboration between stakeholders.

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Missing Persons and OSINT ft. Kevin Metcalf

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:00:35 GMT

We all use open source intelligence when online but do we understand how easy it is to find people? Kevin Metcalf explains to us the amount of information is available online and how he uses it to help law enforcement finding missing persons.

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The use of geneology to identify missing persons ft. Kelly Kincaid

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 12:00:52 GMT

Kelly Hawkins Kincaid from Astrea Forensic shares with us how DNA markers are used to bring closure to long term missing person cases.

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Missing on a Night Out ft. Geoff Newiss

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 12:00:39 GMT

Geoff Newiss shares his findings from his research on "Missing on a Night Out". He reviewed missing persons cases going missing while on a night out and discussed that many encounter water which may result in fatalities.

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How do people go missing during war? ft Frank Ledwidge

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:00:30 GMT

Senior Lecturer Frank Ledwidge shares his experience about people going missing during war. Karen and Frank discuss what is the definition of war and how many people around the world are affected. They explore the various ways people go missing during wars and some of the key challenges in finding or identifying them.

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How Dementia affects people going missing ft. Lili Liu

Wed, 24 May 2023 12:00:27 GMT

How many people with dementia go missing? Karen talks to Professor Lili Liu about how people with dementia go missing and the risk they may face without even realizing it. Professor Lili Liu provides mechanisms on how a coomunity and family can prepare and help a person with demtia lead a relative regular life.

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How is mental health and missing linked? ft. Galit Draizin-Itzhaki

Wed, 10 May 2023 12:00:42 GMT

In this episode Karen discusses with Galit Draizin-Itzhaki, psychotherapist, profiler for high-risk populations, the variety of mental health issues that often are related and lead to people going missing, whether it is children or adults. Karen and Galit address the difference between being bi-polar or schizophrenia and the importance of removing stigma from talking about it. We also discuss the warning signs and prevention strategies which professionals and friends and relatives should be mindful of.

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How do missing persons cases become homicides? ft. Lt. Paul Belli

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 12:00:45 GMT

In this episode, Lt. Paul Belli, President of the International Homicide Investigation Association (IHIA) explains the complexity of homicides investigation and in particular those which start as a missing person case. Caroline and Paul explore what makes these cases so complex and unique, how law enforcement investigate these incidents and what resources are needed.

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How abductions are treated in South America ft. Leticia Risco

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 09:34:52 GMT

In this first episode of series 2, Caroline talks to Leticia Risco who shares her vast experience dealing with different types of abductions in Argentina and South America. She highlights how many abductions include a component of violence and abuse. The need for better collaboration between professionals so as to protect the most vulernable.

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When They Are Found ft. Suzannah Drury

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 02:00:29 GMT

In the final episode of this series, Karen speaks with Suzannah Drury of charity Missing People UK.

Often it can be seen as the end of the story when a missing person is returned, but that’s far from the truth as we find out. Suzannah explains how vital it is that returned persons and their loved ones are able to access the right support in order that they can reintegrate with life and move past the underlying issues that caused the missing episode.

She and Karen discuss how people are found, as well as the absence of after-support for adults, and pioneering schemes that could challenge this problem.

We want to you share knowledge and empowering conversations to help tackle the missing persons crisis. Find out more about all of our guests and the Missing Persons Uncovered project and find links to support on the website missingpersonsuncovered.com

Find out about Missing People UK and access support on their website here.

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Search and Rescue for Missing Persons ft. Dr Craig Collie

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 02:00:16 GMT

Dr Craig Collie is a Search and Rescue Volunteer and academic in the field of Missing Persons. It’s not all helicopters and sniffer dogs though. Craig takes Karen through the decisions police forces have to make when searching for a missing person and how search and rescue teams can be a vital support in this.

He also discusses how different bodies collaborate with police, often across borders, to assist in search missions and how analysts have worked out some metrics for predicting the behaviour of missing persons with different mental health conditions.

Craig also discusses the role that families can and should play in the search and rescue process as well as the kinds of protocols that nations put in place for large scale missing persons events, such as natural disasters.

We want you to share knowledge and empower conversations to help tackle the missing persons crisis. Find out more about all of our guests and the Missing Persons Uncovered project and find links to support on the website missingpersonsuncovered.com

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How the Media and Publicity Can Help Find Missing People ft. John Bischoff

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 02:00:50 GMT

You might have seen “Missing Person” billboards and posters, but there’s a lot more to using publicity in order to seek people who have disappeared.

John Bischoff is Vice-President for the Missing Children Division of the National Center For Missing Exploited Children (NCMEC). He talks with Karen and Caroline about the relationships they’ve established to help make publicity campaigns successful.

They discuss the importance of media campaigns to gather information from a community and to empower worried families and loved ones in the search. In addition to the power of posters, John explains how information databases and analytics services can provide non-profit support in spreading a message, in addition to social media platforms and community alerts.

He also talks about the particular challenges of running campaigns across a nation as big as the United States, and why this can be so powerful in safely finding missing people.

And when someone is found? The care this media team offers stretches to respecting and protecting the privacy of an individual so they can continue with their lives and move on.

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What Help is There For Those At Risk? Ft. Bethan Hodges

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 02:00:07 GMT

In response to the missing persons crisis, a swathe of excellent collaborations and charitable organisations have risen to fill the gaps in public services and support police and families at risk of or living with missing persons cases.

Bethan Hodges of the UK charity Missing People chats with Caroline and Karen about how the 1986 case of Susie Lamplugh led to the foundation of the charity. She talks about the importance of strong community networks to protect vulnerable individuals and why it’s important that public services and people all work together to share information.

She explains how the Herbert protocol is an example of how concerned parties can register information with authorities in advance, should vulnerable individuals with dementia be at risk of going missing.

Bethan explains why charities can be essential in bridging the gap between police and families too, by facilitating conversation to build trust, or even between missing people and their families via the Textsafe network.

You can call or text the Missing People helpline on 116000 for support, advice and guidance.

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Who Is Affected When Someone Goes Missing? Ft. Dr. Sarah Wayland & Loren O’Keefe

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 02:00:49 GMT

What happens when someone you love goes missing? How do you move forward if they’re not found? And how does this impact families and relationships?

In this episode we look at the realities of what it means to work with police and media, campaign to find your loved one and navigate your life whilst nothing feels normal.

Karen speaks with Dr. Sarah Wayland of the Australian Federal Police and Loren O’Keefe, whose younger brother Dan, went missing in 2011.

Loren shares her personal experiences of searching for her brother for 5 years before his body was found, which led her to set up the Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN).

Sarah explains the missing persons process in Australia and highlights inequalities and vulnerabilities for First Nations communities. She explores whether the idea of ‘hope’ can be helpful or damaging to relatives who have to balance this with feelings of grief, loss and trauma.

Loren is keen that families and loved ones who are living with the uncertainty of a missing person are able to access and learn about services. You can find out more at MPAN on their website and Twitter.

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How Does a Missing Persons Investigation Work? Ft. Carlo Schippers

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 02:00:00 GMT

How do the police, organisations and authorities work to track down a missing person? Carlo Schippers says it may be helicopters, specialist equipment, dogs, officers on horseback… you’re only limited by your own imagination when trying to find someone safely.

Carlo is a retired detective superintendent and behavioural consultant with the Dutch national police. He was instrumental in setting up the Dutch Missing Persons Bureau and in this episode he explains the decisions, resources and challenges that come into play during a missing persons investigation.

Carlo’s interest in improving missing persons investigations began when he was working on homicide investigations and it’s his goal to make sure that what starts out as missing persons cases are resolved before they go this far.

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How Does Someone Become a Missing Person? Ft. Charlie Hedges

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 02:00:21 GMT

When should you report someone as missing? And what happens after that?

Former police officer Charlie Hedges now devotes his working life to improving the way our institutions handle missing persons. His goal is to build police expertise across Europe to make sure risk is properly assessed when a person is reported missing.

He joins Karen and Caroline to explain why you shouldn’t wait to contact authorities if you believe someone is missing. He tells how he’s experienced the impact of a delay upon cases he’s handled and why anyone who is concerned should report a person missing – it’s not just down to family members.

So why do the police ask so many questions when someone is reported missing? Charlie takes Caroline and Karen through the ways risk and background is assessed and how that information is used to try and find them.

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Why Do People Go Missing? Ft. Aagje Ieven

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 02:02:11 GMT

Advisory warning: Please note this episode contains references to suicide and self-harm

What do we mean when we call a child a runaway? And how is this symptomatic of a much bigger issue?

This time, Karen and Caroline are joined by Aagje Ieven, the Secretary General of Missing Children Europe, to look at the real reasons people go missing. And these aren’t the ones you hear about in the movies.

They look at the gaps in care that cause vulnerable people – adults and children – to be lost by our international systems of protection and unpick the complicated terminology that can exacerbate the issue.

Aagje also shares shocking statistics about missing children and the interrelation with abduction, smuggling and trafficking. The team also discusses how war and conflict has created extreme forced displacement in recent months and years.

Please note this episode includes references to suicide and self-harm.

Follow @aagjeieven on Twitter.

Find out about the mission and values of Missing Children Europe

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What Does it Mean to Be A Missing Person?

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 01:59:14 GMT

What does it mean to go missing? And why do approximately 8 million people disappear every year around the world?

In the first episode of the series, meet Caroline and Karen. Their passion for protecting vulnerable people and getting into the minds of individuals who either choose or do not choose to disappear has led them on a journey of discovery. Find out how they’ve been moved to dedicate their working lives to helping society understand issues around missing persons, and get to grips with the often misunderstood world of people who disappear.

Karen and Caroline unpack what sort of person goes missing – you may be surprised to find out that those you love could be at risk. They ask whether, for someone to be missing, they need to first be missed, and explore what this means for relationships and responsibilities, and how many people are impacted by one person going missing.

Plus Karen shares her personal motivation for seeking to understand the issue better, after the disappearance of her father during the Yom Kippur war, and latterly as a result of trauma.

Find out more about all of our guests and the Missing Persons Uncovered project and find links to further information support on the website missingpersonsuncovered.com

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Missing Persons Uncovered Is Out Now

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 12:53:23 GMT

Missing Persons Uncovered gets beneath the surface of an emergency nations are facing across the world. Every year 155,000 people go missing in the UK alone. What does it mean to go missing? Why do some people make the choice to disappear? And how can we protect our vulnerable loved ones better?

Caroline Humer and Karen Shalev Greene set out to hear first-hand experiences of those who have experienced missing persons cases, seeking the people behind the statistics. Listen in on revealing conversations with professionals and practitioners who are working to challenge myths and raise awareness around this much misunderstood social and personal issue.

Combining Caroline’s 20 years of experience working as a child protection expert with Karen’s 12-year academic mission to understand the world of missing persons and their protection, the team invites you to join them in sharing knowledge on how we can protect society’s most vulnerable people.

Find out more about all of our guests and the Missing Persons Uncovered project on the website missingpersonsuncovered.com

There's a new episode every 2 weeks.

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