Australian Federal Police

TheAustralian Federal Police (AFP) will launch its own MySpace profile as part ofa global campaign to locate missing children.

Thesite will go live on International Missing Childrens Day on Sunday, 25 May andwill provide young people with interactive information including videos, imagesand links to international networks.

AFPNational Manager Economic and Special Operations Paul Jevtovic said in additionto the MySpace site, the AFP's National Missing Persons Coordination Centre(NMPCC) would extend its international online presence to the Global MissingKids Network and YouTube.

"TheNMPCC has begun working with the International Centre for Missing and ExploitedChildren (ICMEC) to put profiles of young Australians who are missing on itswebsite," Assistant Commissioner Jevtovic said.

"Theaim of the Network is to coordinate a global response to fighting child sexualexploitation and abduction, and to increase the number of missing children whoare found."

Inan effort to increase international awareness of missing persons among youngpeople, the NMPCC has also started using YouTube as a channel of communication.

"Thechannel is dedicated to finding missing children worldwide. It features videosof missing children and also includes safety and educational material, as wellas public service announcements and messages of support," AssistantCommissioner Jevtovic said.

"Videosand the NMPCC's Supporting those who are left behind counseling framework DVDhave been uploaded on ICMEC's Don't you forget about us YouTube channel."

TheDaniel Morcombe Foundation has thrown its support behind the global campaign tolocate missing children. Daniel's father Bruce Morcombe said dealing with theunresolved loss of your child was gut wrenching as it left family and friends withno answers or opportunities for goodbyes.

"Byusing MySpace and YouTube as a communication tool, the AFP may help restorecontact, receive vital information or create a level of understanding that willhelp those left behind to move on," he said.  

Police define a missing person as anyone who isreported missing to police, whose whereabouts is unknown, and where there arefears for the safety or welfare of that person.

Morethan 90 per cent of people reported missing in Australia are located within ashort period of time, but some 1600 people still remain missing more than sixmonths after they disappear.

In 2008, National Missing Persons Week will runfrom Sunday3 to Saturday 9 August and focus on youth as a significant group at risk ofgoing missing. The theme this year will be ‘When communication goes missing,so do our youth. Don't close the door to communication'.

If you think you have information on a missing person,or are interested in learning more about missing people and the agencies whichhelp them, visit www.afp.gov.au/national/missingor freecall 1800 000 634.

Visit the AFP MySpace site at www.myspace.com/missingpersons