Madeline McCann and the complexities of being a missing person abroad

This week, British police have arrived in the Portuguese resort of Praia de Luz to investigate the disappearance of British toddler Madeline McCann. Seven years after she went missing from her hotel bed, her parents are no closer to knowing what happened to the four-year-old Brit. Portuguese police have been blamed for being too slow to alert the borders and missing vital evidence in the days following her abduction. The global media storm that continues to surround this case really highlights the difficulties with locating missing persons abroad.

Every year, around quarter of a million people go missing in the UK alone. Likewise, each year British travellers, professionals, expats and holidaymakers disappear far from home, leaving families distraught and overwhelmed.

For many British families, the first point of contact will be the police. You do not necessarily need to wait 24 hours before reporting a person missing to the police, particularly if you have reason to believe they could be in danger. Your local UK police service will open a case and get in touch with the relevant authorities abroad. The missing person will be reported to the relevant embassy and the family will be advised on how to proceed with their search. Family and friends may choose to travel to the last known location of their loved one, to help with the search.

However, tracking down a missing person can be a long and emotional task, and when that person goes missing abroad, the family may be further frustrated by bureaucratic delays and communication difficulties.

This is why many families of missing persons choose to hire a private investigator to help with the search. Private investigators can work quickly and independently, either with the local police teams or separately. Good private investigators will have contacts all over the world, and will have had first-hand experience of these cases in the past.

Unfortunately there are no guarantees that missing persons will ever be found. But for the families and friends of the missing, it is worth trying absolutely everything.