Protection of missing children

A mother of a 6-year girl contacted European number for missing children in Serbia. By a court decision, she was appointed as a guardian, but she is not in position to exercise her rights, because the other parent is holding and abusing child rights. In addition, the child is grossly neglected because she does not attend school, and is deprived of seeing her mother and brother for several months. Responsible local institutions failed to intervene several times already and to return a child to her mother.

A mother from abroad addresses ASTRA with the case of parental abduction. A former partner who has no custody left the country of refuge with a child and entered Serbia. Both parents are foreign citizens and although in cases of international parental child abduction, cooperation is the key to successful investigation and support for the child, the local authorities are still reluctant to react and to check whether the father and the child are still on the territory of Serbia.

In both cases, the European number for missing children in Serbia, operating by ASTRA, serves as a unique support to children and parents whenever the local context is not providing the support and/or is breaching their rights.

Both mothers in those case, suffering tremendously for the loss of their children and who cannot directly exercise their basic right as parents, are supported by ASTRA and European number for missing children in Serbia in linking with institutions, making pressure to authorities to react and proactively searching for the information through its CSO local and regional network. The search and return of the child to her mother is still on………..  Stay with us and help us to find children and help their parents…