Launch of National Missing Persons Week 2004 - "Missing: the right to know"
In Australia, 30,000 people are reported missing each year; that is one person every 18 minutes.
Fortunately the majority are located quickly but the impact on the families and friends and the missing people themselves can be devastating.
Raising awareness of the trauma families experience when they don't know the whereabouts of a loved one, and urging prevention, is a key objective of National Missing Persons Week 2004 which will be launched in Canberra on Monday 2 August by Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty.
The Week, which runs from 1 to 7 August, features events run by police and non-government agencies across the country, distribution of posters and postcards, and the national release of a new song by Dan Kerwin Let us Know.
The annual event is coordinated by the National Missing Persons Unit (NMPU), hosted by the AFP in Canberra, in an effort to increase public awareness of issues associated with missing persons.
This year's theme, Missing: The Right to Know, draws upon the common experiences felt by families and friends of the missing; police and non-government organisations associated with missing persons; and the missing persons themselves.
The families and friends of the missing have the right to know that their loved ones are safe and well while the missing person has the right to know they are missed by someone significant in their lives.
From the perspective of police and non-government agencies involved in dealing with missing persons, the right to know extends to the ability to access information held by relevant agencies, some of which could alleviate lengthy investigations.
The PLEaS principles - Prevention, Location, Education and Support - continue to highlight the importance of cooperation between the community and government to reduce the incidence and impact of missing persons.
The poster and postcard used for this year's events was designed by a Canberra Institute of Technology student following the establishment of an annual poster-design competition in collaboration with the NMPU.