CESAGRAM

FAQs

Call the hotline if you are a:

child who is missing from home / care or a child who is thinking of leaving home / care
parent or carer of a missing child
child, young person, or adult who has information about a missing child

Make a report to the police if you know of a child who has gone missing. This can be done by anybody, not just the parents or carers. You may also call the 116 000 hotline for support, advice, and to share valuable information about a missing child.

Who answers the calls?

Professionally trained Hotline Operators.

Does the 116 000 hotline work in my country?

The 116 000 number works in 32 countries in Europe. You can find the list of countries here.

The 116 000 hotline is not available in my country, who can I contact instead?

Always contact your national police to report a missing child or to share information relating to a missing child.

Other national hotlines or children’s organisations are available in your country, you can find this online.

Who can call the 116 000 hotline?

Everyone. Children, young people, parents or carers, families, and third party adults.

If you know about a missing child or if you know of a child at risk of going missing, the 116 000 hotline will be able to support you.

What information am I required to give when I call the 116 000 hotline?

You will be asked for details related to the missing child and their circumstances.

The more information provided the more help this will be for the protection of the child.

Do I have to share my details, I want to remain anonymous?

No, you do not have to share your details. Only share your details should you wish to.

Towards a Comprehensive European Strategy Against tech-facilitated Grooming and Missing

Online child sexual abuse is a growing phenomenon. The consequences of online child sexual abuse on young people are severe. Some of Missing Children Europe’s hotlines have raised concerns about grooming being an increasing factor in disappearances, particularly runaways.

CESAGRAM aims to address this problem by advancing the knowledge base and enhancing the understanding of the link between children who go missing and online grooming for sexual purposes.

Project Activities

The project will work towards this goal by:

Interviewing survivors about their experiences to identify key risk indicators of grooming before, during and after a child has experienced sexual abuse and/or has gone missing.
Analysing police case files lined to grooming and missing.
Conducting an in-depth analysis of EU policy and legal landscape to pinpoint good practices and potential barriers in its response to grooming and missing.
Developing tools and materials to increase understanding and awareness of the grooming process for young people and their caregivers.
Designing, piloting and evaluating AI-based tools that will facilitate the prevention and detection of grooming content online aimed to enhance the operational prevention and detection capabilities of the relevant end users.
Creating a knowledge hub to share knowledge on grooming and missing children with professionals and experts to further develop and build on existing expertise and resources.