Legislation of INTERPOL member states on missing Children

The Statute of the Child and Adolescent (Law n° 8069/90) does not give details of each category.

The Parana State legislation, which also refers to this matter, just makes mention to the procedures to be taken in cases of missing children. Basically three different situations are considered :

1. children who have spontaneously run away from home;

2. children who have been abducted by their own parents;

3. children who have been abducted by unknown persons.

According to the last three situations provided by the Parana State legislation, cases of parental abductions and kidnapping by unknown persons are treated as cases of missing children.

" National Secretariat of Public Security " is working on annual statistics compilation on missing children. The results will be available in the beginning of 1999.

National legislation.

Statute of the Child and Adolescent, Law n° 8,069 - July 13, 1990 and State administrative rules.

Brazil has not ratified the 1993 Hague Convention yet, and has no bilateral cooperation agreements with other countries either.

Police investigations.

Some Brazilian States have police departments responsible for missing people which includes children, adolescent and adults. Others have specialized service in locating missing children. An example of it is the Parana State Police Department's service called SICRIDE " Servico de Investigacao de Criancas Desaparecidas " (missing children investigation service) which acts exclusively on missing children's case from newly born to 12 years old.

There are also other ones spread all over Brazil such as :

State of Pernambuco:

" Departamento de Apoio Tecnico da Diretoria da Crianca e do Adolescente de Pernambuco" (technical support department for children and adolescents of the State of Pernambuco);

State of Bahia

" Divisao de Protecao a Infancia e Adolescencia e Polinter "

(a police division for children and adolescents' protection);

State of Para:

" Divisao Especializada de Adolescente e Polinter" - (a police division specialized in adolescents);

States of Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina, Amazonas and Espirito Santo :

" sos grianca " - a philanthropic service for children's assistance.

State of Rio de Janeiro:

" Fundacao para a Infancia e Adolescencia do Rio de Janeiro (FIA) " - (a governmental foundation for children an adolescent);

State of Cerea :

" Fundacao do Bem Estar do Menor do Ceara (FEBEMCE) " - (a governmental foundation for the minor's welfare).

It does not exist a central police file for reporting cases of missing children. Each State has its own file.

The criteria used to determine whether the disappearance of a child should be reported at national, regional or international level depend on the circumstances of each case.

In the State Police scope, the case in initially reported at regional level and a year later at international level (through INTERPOL or internet).

On the other hand, in the INTERPOL scope, if there is any circumstantial evidence that the child has been taken away to another country or if no one knows the whereabouts of the child, it is immediately reported at international level (firstly via X 400 and then yellow notice). The decision of reporting is taken by a police authority in consonance with a judicial authority.

Collaboration with international organizations, non governmental organizations (NGO) or private associations.

It happens mainly when reporting and collecting information about missing children at national and international level. Besides the repressive task, the police department along with non-governmental organizations promotes precentive campaigns, lectures, circulate posters, etc.

INTERPOL

INTERPOL's action is extremely important for locating missing children all over the world.

The continual meetings of INTERPOL's Standing Working Party on Offences against Minors to discuss and evaluate working methods concerning this matter and the issue of yellow notices have a great importance on locating missing children. IP Brasilia often publishes yellow notices and x-400 messages as well.

The publication of yellow notices on the General Secretariat's web site really important and the children's pictures should provide more details including the age enhancement of photographs either.

It really would help trace missing children.

Media (TV, Internet ...)

Brazilian Police forces use all means of communication that reaches the whole population such as television, radio, internet, magazines, posters, ect.

Brazil has a toll free phone number called " Disque Denuncia "  : 0800 99 0500 - 0800 1407 and, in some locations, 147.

Some others States have their own toll-free numbers and act in cooperation with " Telebras " (governmental telephone company) which is circulating missing children pictures on its telephone cards (most of Brazilian telephone booths work with telecards instead of coins).

There is also an official home page www.pr.gov.br/policiacivil ,
e-mail pcivil@.pr.gov.br.

Legislation of INTERPOL member states on missing Children