"A vulnerable child was drawn into a county lines drug trafficking gang after authorities failed to act for 10 days following his family's report that he was missing, a charity has warned. Missing People, the UK's only charity dedicated to reconnecting missing people with their loved ones, said the boy was groomed while he was away and continued to be targeted even after he was found and brought home, leading to repeated disappearances."
"Risks were missed early on that later escalated, and his family felt like their concerns hadn't been taken seriously enough when they first spoke to the police, Josie Allan, head of policy and partnerships at the charity, told The Independent. Missing People shared this boy's story as it warned that children who disappear are being allowed to fall through the gaps. It said they are at heightened risk of exploitation even when they are only missing for a short time."
A vulnerable boy went missing and was groomed into a county lines drug trafficking gang after a ten-day failure by authorities to act following his family's report. The boy continued to be targeted and repeatedly disappeared even after being found and returned home. Early risks were missed and the family felt their concerns were not taken seriously by police. Missing People warns that children who disappear are falling through systemic gaps and face heightened risk of exploitation even during short absences. The charity blames deprioritisation by government and police, leaving forces without sufficient resources to respond.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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