The disappearance of Joshlin, a teenager from Gugulethu, has sparked widespread concern, drawing attention to the alarming number of missing children in South Africa. Statistics reveal that a child goes missing every five hours, with 23% never found, found deceased, or trafficked. Experts emphasize the importance of immediate reporting to authorities and the need to prioritize child safety.
While she remains missing for nearly two months, her story has made headlines locally, nationally, and internationally.Days before Joshlin’s disappearance, a teenager from Gugulethu,Her distraught mother wasAfter media attention, the mother could open a missing person’s report, however, almost a month later, a burnt body found on the other side of Cape Town was identified as that of the teenager.
Mathe said it was important to note that the SAPS Circulation System is a live system and that figures change constantly.“The protection of children remains a priority to the SAPS and especially small children must never be left unattended. If a child is out of sight of an entrusted person, the possibility of harm to the child becomes real.
Criminologist and National Coordinator for Missing Children South Africa, Bianca van Aswegen statistics only give a general indication of the situation we face as many cases go unreported for reasons such as living in rural areas and being unable to open a case, or families being threatened, especially in kidnapping cases. She said the problem is far worse than the stats will ever be able to tell us.
“Yearly, we see an increase in the number of cases being reported to our organisation. Kidnappings and human trafficking have escalated in our country,” Van Aswegen said.
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