McCanns call for EU-wide missing child alert system

Gerry and Kate McCann, the parents of four-year-old Madelaine who disappeared during a holiday in Portugal last year, have joined MEPs calling for the introduction of an EU-wide alert system when children go missing.

Addressing a press conference at the European Parliament in Brussels, the McCanns said the system has already been introduced successfully in the US and the EU should follow suit.

According to Mrs McCann, the US Amber Alert system set up in 1996 has helped recover 4,000 missing children.

"Through the system, 80 per cent of children were recovered within 72 hours of disappearance", she said.

"Until the system is implemented, other children and families will suffer. The alert system would be reserved for the most serious cases, where the child is at risk of physical harm," Mr McCann said.

MEPs are currently joining forces to present a written declaration in Parliament calling for the set-up of the system in the EU. In order for this declaration to be adopted, it has to be signed by half the members.

The Amber Alert system is based on information being passed on to the police immediately after a child has been reported missing or abducted.

Through photographs and other information, the alert is notified to the public via media outlets. It is issued every time the police confirm that a child has been abducted.

Public information in an Amber Alert consists of the name and description of the abductee, a description of the suspected abductor, and details of the number plate of the abductor's vehicle, if available.

According to the European Commission, Malta has still to start the process of setting up a dedicated telephone hotline for reporting missing children.

The decision by the EU to have the same alert telephone number was taken last year.

However, only Belgium, Denmark, Greece and Portugal have set up the 116 service. Seven other member states, Austria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, have completed the preparatory work.