The missing children crisis - over 9,500 reports in a single year

The phenomenon of missing children in Romania continues to grow, attracting the attention of authorities and non-governmental organizations. Between May 20, 2024 and May 20, 2025, the police registered 9,548 reports of missing minors, according to statistics provided by the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police (IGPR), at the request of the organization Save the Children. Of these cases, over 60% represent voluntary departures from placement centers, school dormitories or other units of the General Directorates of Social Assistance and Child Protection. Most of the reports refer to adolescents aged between 14 and 17, but data shows that the phenomenon does not bypass younger children either. Over 2,000 disappearances were registered among children between 10 and 14 years old, while 131 cases involved children between 5 and 10 years old, and another 101 notifications concerned the disappearance of children under the age of five. At this time, there are 482 active cases of missing minors, most of whom are teenagers.

The organization Save the Children draws attention to the complex nature of this phenomenon, explaining that the voluntary departures of children are not simple acts of rebellion, but alarm signals that indicate emotional suffering, abuse, neglect or difficulties in integrating into the family or the educational system. Common reasons include family conflicts, domestic violence, lack of a secure emotional relationship, but also academic pressure, bullying, the desire for autonomy or negative influences from the environment.

What is more serious is that these children often become victims of abuse, including sexual abuse. Prosecutor Alexandra Tomescu, from the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bucharest Tribunal, confirms that many of the minors who run away from home or from placement centers end up in exploitative situations, becoming easy prey for aggressors. "Sexual predators sense the vulnerability of children and, in a short time, gain their trust, coerce them and turn them into victims," said the magistrate, emphasizing that although pedophiles are often sentenced to severe punishments, the psychological wounds of children are difficult to heal, especially when they are reintegrated into the same toxic environments from which they fled. Experts emphasize the need for real systemic interventions - not just reactive measures, but educational, social and psychological policies that offer children safety, listening and concrete support. In a society where the statistics are alarming and the voices of the most vulnerable often remain unheard, it is essential that authorities, parents, educators and the entire community take an active role in protecting children. Running away from home is never a simple impulsive act: it is, most of the time, a desperate cry for help.