missing case

Missing Children South Africa says it records 60 to 90 missing person cases per month. Photo: Michael Andreev / Flickr

Public warned against opening false missing cases

A missing person case was opened after a woman disappeared. She then told police she isn’t missing and they should not waste resources.

missing case

Missing Children South Africa says it records 60 to 90 missing person cases per month. Photo: Michael Andreev / Flickr

Limpopo Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has issued a stern warning to community members to cease from opening false missing cases after a woman who was reported missing . 

The warning comes after police in Hlogotlou opened a missing person file on Friday, 6  January 2023 at about 17:00 following a report that a woman left the kids at home on 31 December 2022 during the day,  informing her aunt that she was going to visit her boyfriend at Roossenekal and never came back. 

PUBLIC WARNED AGAINST OPENING FALSE MISSING CASES 

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo, soon after the matter was reported to the police, a search operation was immediately launched around Roossenekal which even extended to Dullstroon in Mpumalanga Province. Social media platforms were also used to report her missing. 

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Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said while still searching, the victim called her family and informed them that she is not missing as reported on social media platforms. She also promised them that she will come back home the following week. 

“The police managed to speak to her and she confirmed that she never disappeared and that  police must stop wasting state resources trying to locate her as she is not missing,” Ledwaba said. 

Limpopo Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe said a case of missing person is very serious and is treated as a priority at every police station in order to save the lives of many people.

“If people report false cases and we divert our resources in search of those people, police efforts to fight crime could be negatively impacted,” she said. 

Community members have been urged to inform family members when visiting friends or relatives as failure to do so, panic will kick in and they will be reported missing.

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