I understand my daily “missing” posts were mentioned (read comments from link)) on 18 Doughty Street the other night, how every other post I write is on this subject.  And yes, jailhouse lawyer is right, it’s true, my traffic has slightly gone down since I started writing them. But I do, nevertheless, feel it is important to continue, and this is the reason why.

Ross Miller, from the National Missing Persons Helpline, has described how crucial publicity is in helping find all missing people in the latest edition of PR Week. He stated that the charity uses the Daily Mirror and the Metro as media partners with much success. Of the people pictured in the appeal slots, 70 per cent of those in the Metro and 65 per cent in the Daily Mirror have been found.  That is quite astounding.

I want to continue because I strongly feel that highlighting these desperately sad stories is important for the families who have inexplicably lost someone they love. I believe I am doing the right thing for these families and their tortured souls. And I can tell you that these posts get many hits from all over the world, that for some reason, people are tracking these stories and want to read about these missing young people. Who knows if one day, one of my posts will help make a significant impact in any way in helping assist with the discovery of one of those lost, but not forgotten, young people. That is what I desire most of all.

Thunderdragon also finds my “missing” posts too frequent and says:

“There are hundreds, if not thousands, of missing children out there [as is being ably demonstrated by Ellee Seymour at the moment*] and so to put one (Madeleine McCann) on a pedestal like this is just wrong.
* Although I personally hope she doesn’t keep doing it for too much longer, as I find her politics posts far more interesting.”

But I do take Iain and Thunderdragon’s point on board and will try to ensure I write a couple of daily posts too on news and politics (I have managed on some days, it’s nice to know they have been missed).  I’m only too sorry that my work, family commitments and studies do not allow more free time to write two or three other posts a day. I’m never short of ideas, just time.

*Thanks to Welshcakes Limoncello for translating the text from this missing poster about Mellisa Rondan, now 17, who has not been seen since she vanished in Milan in July 2006. The poster states: “The little girl was on a bus with her mother, who got off to do some errands while the girl stayed on to go to her aunt’s.  However, she never arrived.”

In memory of those who are still missing.