“Children are detained and subject to further abuse,” Sherri Jefferson of the African American Juvenile Justice Project (AAJJP) told NNPA Newswire this week. In many cases, when a child goes missing, parents are told to delay reporting for 24 hours. Jefferson called such a delay a denial of justice that [could] lead to the death of those missing. “Police misinform or misuse information provided by the families to include an emphasis on depression, behavior or conduct disorders, and isolation,” Jefferson demanded. “These factors lessen the chance of defining the person as missing.” Ultimately, the missing person is viewed through the lens of voluntarily being absent or willfully not wanting to be located, Jefferson added. AAJJP officials also expressed concern about trafficking.

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