Missing cases in the Wetteraukreis: Police count 154 reports 2024!

Missing cases in the Wetteraukreis: Police count 154 reports 2024!

In the Wetterau, an alarming number of 154 missing cases ensures excitement and concern this year. By the end of October, the authorities recorded these frightening statistics, and the darkness of uncertainty has a hard time on the relatives. There are desperate families and friends behind each of these numbers who hope for news from their loved ones.

The police have repeatedly struggled with dramatic cases in recent years. For example, a 14-year-old girl who was reported in July 2022 was discovered dead in Teufelsee near Weckesheim eight days later. The perpetrator, a man twice as old, was convicted of murder. Fortunately, such tragic ends are the exception, but the investigators face a variety of challenges. Yasmine Scholz, the police spokeswoman, reports that there are currently around ten open searches from 2020 to 2024 that continue to employ the police.

Masking cases: a worrying phenomenon

The reasons why people disappear are diverse and often shocking: argument with parents, fear of school, psychological problems or just a night of night. Children and adolescents are particularly affected, but older people are also on the list of missing people. The police always assume a danger to life and life when children disappear, while strict criteria have to apply in adults before a search is initiated.

The search for missing is systematically. The police began their investigations "from the inside out". First, the area around the place of residence or facility is searched, in which the missing person was last seen. Modern technologies are used: helicopters with thermal imaging cameras, drones, and even smartphone location are used to find information. "Costs do not matter," emphasizes a police spokesman, while the relatives are asked to willingly share all the information in order to accelerate the search. "Every minute counts," he warns, because in some cases it can be crucial how quickly the police are.