The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is marking National Missing Persons Week (NMPW) this week (31 July – 6 August) by calling on people to consider what life would be like if one of their loved ones were missing.
Launching the AFP’s annual NMPW campaign, Acting Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Protective Command Jason Kennedy said NMPW aimed to raise awareness of the significant issues surrounding missing persons.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Kennedy said the AFP’s new digital campaign, Without Them, challenged Australians to identify with missing people, feel the weight of each missed year and consider their own emotional reaction to having a loved one go missing.
“Young, old, family members, and loved ones all from a range of cultures have one thing in common – the daily fears, hopes and endless questions they leave behind,” A/Assistant Commissioner Kennedy said.
“NMPW is supported throughout the missing persons sector and within the broader community to bring much needed awareness and hopefully answers for those left behind,” he said.
“The policing campaign is supplemented this year by the launch of withoutthem.com.au, developed to display the 2,500 long-term missing persons in Australia whose disappearance is felt deeply by loved ones across the country.”
A/Assistant Commissioner Kennedy said eight long term-missing persons had been nominated by the AFP’s State and Territory counterparts to be featured in this year’s campaign, including Allan Bentley, missing since April 2021; Darlene Geertsema, missing since October 1978; Elizabeth Herfort, missing since June 1980; Josephine Jennings, missing since April 1997; Li Bing Di, missing since February 2001; Nathan Brosnan, missing since September 2021; Paul Baker, missing since August 2021; and Susan Goodwin, missing since July 2002.
“I encourage all Australians to take a look at the profiles of our long-term missing, share the posts and keep the families of those missing in your thoughts,” he said.
The AFP’s Without Them website can be accessed at this PS News link.
