Demonstration raises awareness of missing children in Brazil

A demonstration was held on Copacabana Beach Sunday (March 12) to raise public awareness of the tragedy of thousands of families in the country: an estimated 250,000 children are missing in Brazil.

The protest was organised by the Federal Medical Council (CFM), the Rio de Janeiro Regional Medical Council (CREMERJ) and the Brazilian Pediatrics Society, as part of the National Call for Action Week to Search and Protect Missing Children.

The CFM's Ricardo Paiva said one of the organizers' claims is making the national listing of missing persons really effective. They also want all reports of missing children and adolescents to be notified to the Ministry of Justice.

Another proposal is the creation of a single, nationally-issued identity card—in Brazil, ID's are issued by state authorities and, although the IDs are valid throughout the country, each state adopts a different numbering system. Brazilians are allowed to have multiple IDs, one for each state, but according to Paiva, this makes things easier for the abduction and trafficking in children.

“There is a law—even police don't know it exists—that says you're not required to wait 48 hours [of the reporting of the disappearance] to start searching, you should be able to start right away. This is a very painful issue, but there are recommendations in place to prevent a disappearance or take action when it occurs,” Paiva said.

The CFM's Social Action Committee cites alarming figures: in Brazil, an average 50,000 children and adolescents are reported missing each year. São Paulo accounts for about 30% of that number, followed by Rio de Janeiro and Northeast Brazilian states. Although a majority of the cases are solved in the first 48 hours, about 15% to 20% of the children and adolescents remain missing for a long period of time.

“Many of these children become victims of forced labor, illegal adoption, and sexual exploitation,” said CREMERJ Chair Nelson Nahon. “It's an awareness week that also educates people on how to prevent disappearances—for example, by having children wear identification wristbands to go to the beach or attend events.”

Missing son

Paulo da Cruz Silva, 45, says his son Kelvem was snatched from his mother's arms at ten months old on February 23, 2005. According to Silva, the boy was taken by two women and a man, and was never seen again.

“Our life was ruined from that day. My wife had psychological disorders. I used to be a bus driver myself, but I never drove a bus again. I was completely hopeless. I've had this pain for 12 years,” he recalled. “It was like looking for a needle in the haystack.”

After Kelvem, the couple had three other children—now aged 11, 8 and 3 years. “You think it's going to get easier to cope when you have other kids, but it doesn't. It's forever,” said Silva.

Translated by Mayra Borges