KUALA LUMPUR: An average of two children were reported missing every day from 2020 until September this year.
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Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail disclosed that 3,847 children under 18 years old were reported missing during that period and 96 per cent of them were located by the police.
Of that, he said, 10 were found dead.
Females, he said, led the statistics at 74 per cent.
“For the record, in 2020, there were 792 cases of missing children, 594 in 2021, 902 in 2022, 779 in 2023, and 780 up to September this year.
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“This totals 3,847 cases, with an average of 770 cases per year, which is roughly two cases per day.
“Out of the 3,847 cases, all involving children under 18, police successfully located 96 per cent. For every 100 missing children, 96 are found, and out of those found, 10 were deceased. The remaining cases are classified as still missing,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the majority of the children are aged between 13 and 15, making up 54 per cent, and those aged 16 to 18 account for 37 per cent.
The main reasons for children going missing are teenagers seeking freedom; following friends; following a romantic partner; and misunderstandings with family members.
-NewStraitsTime