1.2 Concept of disappearance and classification and typology

It is important that we know very well how the disappearance of your missing loved one has been classified and thus be able to explain the lines of investigation and search that the police and search units will carry out if necessary and the investigation unit requests action on the land.

Missing person: Concept

*1- Recommendation CM/ Rec (2009)122 of the Council of Europe, dated December 9, 2009, which establishes that:

“The missing person is the person absent from his or her habitual residence for no known or apparent reason, whose existence is a cause for concern or whose new residence is unknown, giving rise to a search in the interest of his or her own safety and on the basis of family or social interest.”

We understand that the definition of “relative of a missing person” includes at least: children born within or outside of marriage, adopted children or children of the spouse; whether legally married or not; parents (including in-laws, mother-in-law, adoptive parents); sisters and brothers, born from the same parents, from different parents or adopted.

A missing person is missing regardless of age. That is to say, therefore, a man or woman is a missing person when their whereabouts are unknown, and the family does not know if they are alive or dead.

A missing person is missing regardless of sex, race, or nationality. It is clear, the figure of a missing person is universal, in any other place in the world, it does not matter whether it is a woman or a man, the figure of the missing person has no conditions, the denominator is the same for everyone.

A missing person is missing regardless of their social life. It does not matter who it is, how it is, the successes or mistakes in their social life, family life, etc., because often when families file a complaint they see how they are judged with family roles and so on, that is, the famous phrases we receive: He had a bad life!…, he met with bad people!…, he could see it coming!…, he was looking for it! As experts or future experts, we have to be clear: To Being a missing person does not have to be chaste, pure and immaculate, have a good reputation, be idolized or liked by everyone.

A missing person ceases to be missing only when they are located. If they are alive, their disappearance may be due to many factors. If they are of legal age and do not wish for their whereabouts to be communicated, it is understood that it is not a disappearance and the person responsible for the investigation lets the family know, his body can be located, if it is in

a short period of time, close to the place, relating the disappearance and identification can be quick, but months can also pass, and identification may be impossible, in which case the only possible form of identification is through the DNA of the corpse and the extracted from their parents or sometimes from the missing person through their comb, toothbrush, etc.

In this sense, the following classification of missing persons has been adopted, in order to apply the most appropriate and timely police treatment to each of them. Thus, we can distinguish three large blocks, taking as a reference of the group the cause that motivated the disappearance:

Classification of missing persons

Ι. VOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCE

Voluntary disappearances are defined as those that take place, as their name indicates, voluntarily. That is, the person who disappears does so without any type of external condition that forces him to make this decision, and whose will is not to be found or not to provide information about his private life, address, or any data that affects his personal life. and from the area of privacy to family members or people with the right to know about their situation or the right to locate them.

The motivation and justification for this discretionary and optional decision can be given for very diverse reasons, such as family, personal, sentimental, work, economic or many other reasons.

Voluntary disappearances can, at the same time, be subdivided into different groups, such as :

• Escapes of minors.
• Escapes of minors from protection centers.
• Unaccompanied migrant minors

ΙΙ. INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCE

Involuntary disappearances are those in which the person disappears due to external causes beyond their control, as long as said reasons do not have their origin or are based on facts that show rational indications of criminality. In this section, the disappearances of people, both adults and minors, that have their reason for being in any of the following causes can be limited:

Without Apparent Cause. This section includes disappearances that cannot be included in any of the other established sections. Therefore, those cases would be included in which the person disappears and is absent from their habitual residence and their whereabouts are unknown, there being no apparent or known reason for such an event to occur. In this way, the search for the missing person is generated for reasons of their own safety or at the request of family members or close people, and for social interest. Subsequently, said disappearance can be classified as voluntary, involuntary of another nature, or even forced.

• People with cognitive, mental, neurodegenerative impairments, people with disabilities.
• Accidents.
• Disasters due to natural causes or derived from accidental or intentional human action.

III. FORCED DISAPPEARANCE

In this classification, forced disappearances would include those that are based on a criminal act or criminal activity, and that affect both minors and adults.

• Disappearances of people based on a criminal environment or environment.
• Parental abduction of minors (national and international).
• Kicked out/Expelled from home (minors and disabled people).

Within the first subtype of forced disappearance, that is, the disappearances of people based on a criminal environment or environment, different examples of criminal conduct that would lead to the absence of a person can be included. Thus, as an example, various illegal activities could be cited, such as kidnapping, being victims of the activities of organized criminal networks of human trafficking in all their forms of exploitation, illegal detention, joining a sect, etc. , as the causes of the disappearance.