EU: Parents who reportedly left children to cry alone while they dined with pals, join MEPs in urging EU-wide alert system for missing children

Of all the thousands of children who go missing in Europe every year, one of the most well known was Madeleine McCann who disappeared in Portugal in May last year. On Thursday her parents Gerry and Kate were at Parliament in Brussels to join forces with MEPs to call for a Europe-wide alert system when children go missing. It would supply the authorities, police and the media with a photograph and information as soon as a child is reported missing.

Many Members have signed a declaration calling for the introduction of such a system across Europe. It would also have a telephone number that people could ring if they saw something suspicious.

Such a system would emulate the US style "Amber Alert" which Kate McCann said had helped recover 4000 missing children since being set up in 1996. One of the authors of the written declaration was British Conservative MEP Edward McMillan-Scott. He said that the "Amber Alert has recovered 80% of children within 72 hours of disappearance". He said that a lack of knowledge about its effectiveness has hampered previous attempts to set up a UK version. British Liberal Democrat Liz Lynne said that "two years ago we tried to get it through but hopefully now, after this, we will be able to have it signed by the MEPs".

Only Belgium, Denmark, France and Portugal have this type of missing child bureau. Gerry McCann said "every county in the EU should have such a system...until the system is implemented, other children and families will suffer." The alert system "would be reserved for the most serious cases, where the child is at risk of physical harm".

Mrs McCann said an EU alert system could have increased the chances of finding Madeleine. She said she is still hopeful they will find her alive and well.

Other authors of the written declaration include Roberta Angelilli (UEN), Glenys Kinnock (PES), Evelyne Gebhardt (PES) and Diana Wallis (ALDE). A Written Declaration must be first signed by at least half of the MEPs in order to be reputed as adopted. The process has now started and will now go on in the next coming weeks.

Source: European Parliament

Mike Hitchen, Mike Hitchen Consulting Publisher of
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