Identifying causes of recent spate of missing persons and strengthening inter-agency preventive measures

Question:

Ms Valerie Lee: To ask the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry can share the root causes, if any, identified from the recent spate of missing person cases; and (b) how these findings are coordinated with relevant agencies to strengthen preventive measures, improve early intervention, and reduce the likelihood of similar incidents occurring.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:

1. When the Police locate a missing person, preliminary investigations will be conducted to ensure the safety of the missing person and establish if he or she was the victim of a crime. The Police do not track the root causes of missing person cases, as the circumstances can vary widely across individuals and situations. The root causes may not always be fully known to the Police even after preliminary investigations.

2. Where a case involves sensitive missing persons, such as youths, or where there may be safety concerns, the Police will notify the relevant stakeholders for the appropriate follow-up, including their next-of-kin, family service centres and schools.