Operation Not Forgotten : missing children’s

Children going missing is a very urban problem we are facing in today’s world. These children are then sex trafficked, used in drug cartels, child slaves. Unfortunately, not many children are reported missing by their families as many of the children’s runaways from their homes and hence there is no clear data to determine how many children are actually missing. In a report by the FBI in 2019, there were over 42 thousand entries for missing children. According to the FBI every 40 seconds a child goes missing in the United States.

It is an initiative in which the US Marshals services missing child unit with collaboration with the regional forces to look for missing and exploited children which are dubbed as Operation Not Forgotten. Now, as per the reports a close of 40 kids are known to be due to the mission within a matter of two weeks

Through this Operation, a total of thirty-nine ‘missing children’  in Georgia as well as identifying thirteen more in different locations.

The average range of rescued children is in their early teenage i.e. 13to 17 and to also low as to children aged between 3-10. It is believed that most of the rescued children are victims of child sex trafficking, child abuse, sexual abuse, medical and mental health conditions. According to reports these children where dispersed in twenty various locations in Georgia countries. Motels, apartment complexes, and various other locations where these children were being trafficked for sex.

During the whole operation, a total of nine people are arrested for charges for parental kidnapping, alleged crimes related to sex trafficking, registered sex offender violations, drugs, informed by the US Marshals.

In a press release by the US Marshals director Donald Washington said on Thursday

“The US Marshals Services is fully committed to federal, state, and local agencies with locating and recovering endangered missing children, in addition to their primary fugitive apprehension mission. ” And lastly concluding the statement with  “the message to missing children and their families is that we will never stop looking for you “.

It is believed that most of the children have a long and very difficult recovery road ahead of them. As per the official website of the US Marshals in 2019 the US Marshals Services have helped recover over 295 children based on the requests from law enforcement and has contributed to the recovery of a missing child in 75 percent of cases received.

As for now, we can only thank the heroes rescuing these children’s from that dark world and still looking out for them.