The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have marked National Missing Persons Week this week (1-7 August) with the release of a unique series of images that capture how seven Australians could look today, up to 40 years after they went missing.
Coordinator of AFP’s National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC), Jodie McEwan said this year’s theme, Their face might have changed. Missing them hasn’t, acknowledged that as people aged, their appearance changed and missing people were no exception to this.
Ms McEwan said the age-progressed images were created by AFP forensic artists and would be featured across a series of short videos to be progressively launched throughout the Week.
“Using the capabilities of specialist AFP forensic artists who work closely with family members, we are able to produce a depiction of how the missing person could look today,” Ms McEwan said.
“It is hoped the images, some of which show how a person may look more than 40 years after going missing, provide the community with an updated idea of who we continue to search for,” she said.
“The seven people who will be featured throughout the Week all have families who continue to wait for answers.”
Ms McEwan said those featured during this year’s campaign were sons and daughters, parents, siblings, colleagues and friends.
The NMPCC Coordinator said missing people were more than faces on a poster or a website, “they are real people who are valued members of their communities and we continue the search to find them”.
Ms McEwan asked anyone with information that they thought could assist police to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The AFP’s age-progression videos can be viewed on NMPCC’s Facebook page at this PS News link.
