The key facts
- Interior Ministry: a missing child report is accepted immediately; there is no need to wait three days
- It is advisable to have an identity document, the child's details, and a recent photograph of the child
- It is worth reporting the child's chronic illnesses — this is taken into account during the search
What the Interior Ministry advises
Parents of a missing child should immediately contact the police, bringing an identity document, papers with the child's details, and a recent photograph of the child — these recommendations are contained in materials from the Russian Interior Ministry reviewed by RIA Novosti, and Life.ru retells them. Parents should describe the missing child's appearance in detail to the police, mention distinctive features, and say what the child was wearing.
Health and lack of documents
Separately, the ministry advises reporting any chronic illnesses the child may have: this information helps take the child's health condition into account during the search. At the same time, the absence of documents should not delay contacting the police — the duty officer is obliged to accept a missing person report immediately and has no right to refuse to register it. There is no need to wait three days: it is enough to report the disappearance, and police officers will establish the circumstances themselves.
An example of a successful search
The practical side of searches is illustrated by a recent case in the Ryazan region, which Life.ru previously reported on: a four-year-old boy went missing there during a walk. After the parents contacted the authorities, police and volunteers joined the search; according to the Liza Alert search team, a drone with a thermal imager helped find the child. The boy was found alive and returned to his family.
