30 missing persons a day

Searching for missing persons: What the police can do

Between 10,000 and 12,000 people are reported missing in Austria every year

(Bild: Markus Tschepp (Symbolbild))

Between 10,000 and 12,000 people are reported missing in Austria every year. While the majority of missing persons - like you - report back after a short time, around two percent of cases remain unsolved. What the police do when someone goes missing.

If a person is reported missing by calling 133 or at a police station, the first step is to ask about the circumstances. "The search always depends on the circumstances, of course. If a person has not been seen for a year, the measures are different than if a child has not come home from school," explains Stephan Mayer from the Competence Center for Missing Persons (KAP) at the Federal Criminal Police Office.