Gerrys words this morning regarding his & Kates tragic experience and the need for Child Rescue Alerts to be put in action ASAP: The father of Madeleine McCann said every parent loses a child as he urged the public to help find missing youngsters by signing up to a mobile phone rescue alert. Gerry McCann, whose eldest daughter vanished seven and a half years ago, said even losing a child for a moment was intolerable. Every parent has lost their child, even if it is momentarily - in a playground, in a supermarket - and knows how terrifying it is. Appealing with wife Kate for people to download the new smart phone app, he said: Im sure it would have increased the chances of finding Madeleine. The couple, both 46, were joined by Hugh Grant and parents of other lost children for their plea to the public to back the scheme. It came as new National Crime Agency figures reveal a child is reported missing in the UK every five minutes. From 2012 to 2013 there were 306,000 reports of missing people. Mrs McCann, an ambassador for Missing People, said: People are a crucial resource and are very willing as we know from our own experience. Speaking on ITVs Good Morning Britain, she added: The Child Rescue Alert is based on the Amber Alert System in America - already 685 children have been reunited with their families so we know it works. She has previously said: As a parent of an abducted child, it is the most painful and agonising experience you could ever imagine. Coral Jones, mother of murdered five year old April, said: If we had all this before we would have had more of a chance of having April home. Four Weddings and a Funeral star Grant said: To let everyone in the country know that this child is missing, with a photograph, could mean the difference between life and death. The first hour or two is crucial and it is a good function for a smart phone. It is a brilliant idea. The dedicated app sends out alerts as soon as a child disappears. So far 58,000 people across the country have signed up to the scheme. Missing Peoples Chief Executive Jo Youle said: If your child goes missing you want the whole world to stop and search. The Child Rescue Alert enables members of the public to receive the alerts for vulnerable and high risk missing people straight to their phone and they can help get that child back very quickly. You can register at childrescuealert.org.uk. Nearly two thirds of cases - 64 per cent - involve children and teens with 15 to 17 year olds being reported missing most often. The majority, almost 97 per cent, of people are likely to be found safe and well within 48 hours. Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared in Portugals Praia da Luz in May 2007 while her parents were dining nearby with friends. The couple from Rothely, Leicestershire, believe their daughter, who would now be 11, could still be alive.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 22:31:48 +0000
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