Missing person, category I

ITAKA FOUNDATION
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CENTRE FOR MISSING PEOPLE
Anna Jurkiewicz
Zakopane, 14 May 2015
This is us…
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ITAKA FOUNDATION
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since 1999, it has been looking for missing persons
identifies unidentified persons (activities include Poland and abroad)
and
free round-theclock support to families of missing
persons
as the only organization in Poland, it provides
leads service
www.zaginieni.pl, Missing Persons Base and Base of
Unidentified Persons
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lobbies for improvement and amendments to the current legal situation of missing persons
and their families
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ITAKA Foundation Team
Board of Directors
Search and Identification Team
• 3 coordinators of the Support Line
• volunteers' coordinator
• psychologist
• psychiatrist
• social worker
• 20 volunteers
Legal team
• 4 lawyers
• 1 volunteer PR
Team
• 3 specialists
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Statistical data 2014
• In 2014, a total of 1737 cases reported
• In 2014, we were able to help
clarify 1095 cases
of people discovered alive - 853
(including the identification of unidentified persons - 10,
parental kidnapping - 12)
of people discovered dead - 240
(52 people committed suicide)
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Disappearance of an
individual
Ordinance No. 124 of the Chief of Police of 4 June 2012
regulating police obligations to conduct searches of missing
persons and procedure in case of disclosure of a person of
unknown identity or finding unidentified corpses and human
remains
Disappearance of an individual is the
occurrence of an incident which:
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prevents the whereabouts of a natural person to be
ascertained
and protection of that person’s life, well-being or liberty
to be provided,
which requires the person to be located or assisted
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Reasons for disappearance of adults
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depression / suicide
mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia)
somatic disease (e.g. memory disturbance)
desire to start a new life
family conflicts
financial problems / debt / loss of job
addiction (alcohol, drugs)
problems during their stay / departure abroad
accidents
domestic violence
crime (including human trafficking, kidnapping,
murder)
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Missing person, category I
by Ordinance No. 124
 suddenly left the place of residence
 is suspected of having committed a crime
against her life, physical integrity or liberty
 or threat to life, health or freedom
a) suicide
b) 15 Years old + first disappearance
c) age, illness, disability, disorder
of mental activities
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Missing person, category II
There is no need to immediately
ensure protection of life, health and freedom
c)
will"
a) is not in category I or III
b) showed dissatisfaction with life
left the place of residence of the "on their free
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Missing person, category III
a) minor - another arbitrary disappearance,
unless it belongs to category I,
b) adult fugitive from where he was placed
involuntarily, unless it belongs to category I,
c) minor from parental kidnapping, unless it
belongs to category I
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Cooperation with the Police
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Agreement on cooperation of 14 March 2008 between the
Metropolitan Police and ITAKA - Centre for Missing People
Agreement on cooperation of 25 May 2009 between the
Metropolitan Police and ITAKA - Centre for Missing People
Currently contact and cooperation with the Centre for Missing
People National Police HQ
Cooperation with coordinators for disappearances appointed
within the National / Regional
Police HQ
Ordinance No. 124 of the Chief of Police
of 4 June 2012 concerning search for missing people
carried out by the Police and the procedure in case
of disclosure of a person of unknown identity or
finding unidentified corpses and human remains
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How do we help?
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How does ITAKA Foundation help?
SPECIALIST SEARCH
COUNSELLING
SUPPORT
search initiation and monitoring
clock helpline
psychologist
round-thelawyer
for all affected
We help by phone, sometimes directly (consultations in Direct Support
Point)
ITAKA Foundation Support Line 00 48 22 654 70
70
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Who do we help?
• We help families of missing people
(psychologist, lawyer, social worker),
• teen escapees and youths at risk of escaping
and families after teenagers' return
(psychological support, family mediation)
• parents in cases of parental abductions
(legal and search aid)
• we search for the missing in
Poland and abroad (children and adults)
• identify unidentified people
• We identify unidentified corpses (reserved
ITAKA Foundation sites with unidentified
corpses)
Whom
do we NOT look for?
• biological parents of adopted children
• missing people in time of war
• people wanted for an offence
• people with whom the caller lost contact
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Missing Person Notification
Policy
In order to receive help from the ITAKA
Foundation, family must:
1. Report the missing person to the police prerequisite (a written confirmation
received from the family or telephone
confirmation by ITAKA employee)
2. Fill in and submit the ITAKA Foundation
application form (consent to the
publication of the missing person's image)
3. Send a photo of the missing person
Receiving notification
in ITAKA Foundation
1. extended interview with the family (recent
events, conflicts, diseases, family's
assumptions) purpose: getting to know the
reason for disappearance, gathering clues
for action
2. Search advice (what did the family, which
may still do) purpose: maintaining the family
active, not doing everything for them
3. informing about the necessary documents
purpose: to facilitate the preparation of
documents, technical support for families
4. we present how we help,
purpose: making family's expectations real
5. We give support, arrange regular contact,
purpose: to build a permanent cooperation
with the family, gain confidence
The time consecrated to the family during the
first contact translates into the quality of
cooperation in the whole process of search.
Putting the search in motion
When we receive confirmation of the notification from
the police, a form with consents to the publication of the
image together with a picture - the case is activated on
the website and we start our activities.
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People Database
Missing and Unidentified People
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Search operations
• Distribution of the missing person's image:
- Posters (night shelters, eating places, Polish shops
and churches abroad, hostels, mountain shelters,
municipal police, social welfare centres)
- posters enquiring for consular records before
diplomatic missions
- media and electronic carriers (Polish and
foreign)
- worldwide cooperation with partner
organizations
- worldwide cooperation with the police worldwide
- Cooperation with search and rescue
groups
... Continued search operations
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establishing contact with the missing person via social
networking sites, e-mails
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search for information about the missing person on public
websites containing data of inhabitants of a given country,
e.g.
http://www.hitta.se/ (domicile in Sweden),
http://www.lookupanyone.com/ (USA, Australia)
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gathering information from informants, selection
and forwarding it for verification to appropriate
police units
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base of unidentified corpses - "reserved pages"
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Information from informants
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We receive numerous messages daily from several bystanders, we
inquire about details of the event and convey all information to the
Police.
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informer
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knows the missing person, knows some information from before
the disappearance, e.g. about the planned break-up of relations
with the family, leaving abroad
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They know the missing person and have information
from a meeting / contact after the disappearance
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an accidental person with information from
a meeting with the missing person
We guarantee anonymity.
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The effects of search
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89% of cases can be explained in the same
year in which they were reported
... that is:
- the person returns home
- makes contact with the family,
- is found by the police,
- signs a declaration,
- corpse is found.
- contacts ITAKA Foundation and closes the
search (after verification of identity and
expressing their position)
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Cancellation of the search
by the missing person
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We ask verification questions - prepared by the family and check if
the answers are the same as those given by the family
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Cancellation of the search
by the missing person ... continued
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We inform the missing person about the need to close the
search at the police - we go to the nearest unit or
consulate
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We ask about the attitude towards the family - whether they
want to communicate something through us, whether they
are planning to contact their relatives
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We note that we will inform the family that the missing
person got in touch with ITAKA - is safe and sound - will not
give any further information unless we have the consent of
the missing person
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How do we support?
Psychological support for families is available
all the time and adapted to the different
stages of experiencing the disappearance.
"A person is physically absent, but
psychologically present "
(Boss 1999, 2002, 2007).
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116 000
Phone in Case of a Lost Child and
Teenager
• hotline in case of loss of a child up to 18
years of age
• valid throughout the European Union,
launched in accordance with European
Directive of 15 February 2007,
• active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
free of charge
• almost 2 000 calls per month, (families of missing
children / teenagers, underage refugees; informants
/ friends of the missing person, jokes, silent phone
calls)
Psychological Support
Disappearance:
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diagnosis of the missing person's family's needs
support during the search and after its completion,
support in mourning / awaiting the results of search
DNA
support groups (Warsaw, Katowice, Gdańsk)
Parental Kidnapping:
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emotional support
preliminary preparation for a meeting of the parent
with the child
Teenage escapees:
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diagnosis of the problem
looking for alternatives to escaping
assistance in returning home
work with parent
Legal aid
Disappearance:
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support in contact with authorities / companies (Social
Insurance Institution (ZUS),
cooperative, helpline operator etc.)
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divorce with the missing person / maintenance from the
missing person
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declaration of death
Parental Kidnapping:
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assistance in legal regulation of parental authority
and contact with children,
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assistance in activities conducted under the Hague
Convention on civil aspects of international child abduction
Teenage escapees:
- assistance in regulating the teenager's legal situation,
- information about the existing opportunities in case of
"escape" from pathology and violence
ITAKA Foundation
Identification of corpses
• Notifications from the police
• Newly disclosed unidentified corpse
• Selection - unidentified corpse syndrome
nnz@zaginieni.pl
• Codes to reserved websites - for
families
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ITAKA Foundation
Identification of
corpses
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ITAKA Foundation Identification
of unidentified people
• Notification from the hospital,
social car insitution,
police
• Selection - whether it is the
missing person
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Publication of image
nn@zaginieni.pl
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ITAKA Foundation
Identification of
unidentified people
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What else do we do?
• Preventive measures, e.g. within the framework of
internet projects, through meetings in schools
• social campaigns
Do not run away
Stop depression
Take care of the child Safe work
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STOP DEPRESSION
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Prevention of disappearances of
young children
TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILD
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Wristbands for children
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www.facebook.com/FundacjaItaka
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Thanks to whom do we operate?
It makes sense ....
"On behalf of the whole family, we wanted to
thank you for your help
in finding our daughter. We are glad that she is
safe and sound, our joy is huge
and we are sooooo grateful to you.
THANK YOU!
Jolanta Jankowska with family."
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Anna Jurkiewicz
anna.jurkiewicz@zaginieni.pl
22,620 16 10
itaka@zaginieni.pl
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