Italy: Missing people up 26 percent in 2022, 67 per day

Rome, Feb 22 (Prensa Latina) In 2022, there were 24,369 reports of missing people in Italy, for an average of 67% per day, a 26.4% more than the previous year´s 19,269, Italian Interior Ministry informed. These are the data released by the extraordinary commissioner of the government for missing persons, prefect Antonino Bella, who presented the annual report to the Interior Ministry.

February 22, 2023
17:04

“These are minors, adults and the elderly who lose track of themselves, leaving their families in anguish,” said Bella. In 82% of cases, these are voluntary removals, while reports of possible victims of crime represent 0.22%.

On average, there are 41 complaints per day relating to foreigners, 47 of minors (36 foreigners and 11 Italians): mostly males between the ages of 15 and 17.

The increase in reports of missing minors is 47.8% for foreigners and 24.1% for Italians. In 2022, the disappearance of 70 Ukrainian minors was also reported in Italy.

Complaints relating to over 65s grew by 13% in 2022. There were 12,170 finds, 49.9% of missing person reports, a slight increase over the previous year. Recovery times continue to decrease: 75% of missing persons are found within the first week. 10% of the finds occurred in the railway sector and mostly concerned minors. pll/rgh/ort