False missing person�s reports concern police

Mpho Mokwape | Tuesday December 16, 2014 20:16

In most cases, especially with youth, the individuals take off without informing anyone, but then are reported as missing.

This comes in the wake of yet another case of a missing person being lodged with the Broadhurst police.

The 14-year-old schoolgirl from Leduamang in Gaborone was reported missing at the station after reportedly being last seen at Gaborone bus rank.

Station Commander for Broadhurst Police, Bonno Molapisi, told Mmegi that most of the reported cases of missing persons turns out to be youth who resort to wayward behaviour and wander off without notifying anyone, especially their parents.

Molapisi said the police often invest resources and limited manpower dealing with these many false cases of missing persons.

“It is a worrying trend that people often voluntarily decide to stay away without telling their parents or close ones, then add to numbers of genuinely missing persons,” he said. He, however, stated that when a person is reported missing, the police have no choice but help find the individual regardless of the circumstances.

Meanwhile the reported missing schoolgirl was found on Friday morning and is said to be in good health.