Tulse Hill girl missing : Serena Beakhurst - missing since last Wednesday

[Herne Hill Guest]

More detail here.

[DeptfordDiva]

How shameful that there has been no press coverage.

[ImpetuousVrouw]

Why has this not been on the news?

The other poor girl who was found murdered was on the news as soon as she was missing. Why has no-one taken any interest in this young girl going missing? This is awful.

[ianr]

There is another photograph here. She is described as 5'3", medium build.

[Huguenot]

I think it's ridiculous to assume that the police and the press are ignoring this because they're racist (as the article states). It is far more likely that there is more to this than meets the eye.

An estimated 150,000 kids under the age of 18 go missing every year, a very large proportion of these in London. Before committing large amounts of resource police will look closely at the history, the circumstances, the events leading up to the disappearance and the reports of key witnesses.

Whilst this isn't failsafe, it's the only sensible way of dealing with this problem.

A woman in a happy relationship who leaves keys, wallet, mobile phone and coat at home in sub zero temperatures will attract more concern than a girl who takes a packed bag, a mobile, is unhappy at home, tells her mates she's off with a boyfriend or any one of a myriad other situations.

Please be aware that there are sometimes very good reasons why the police and the social services do not identify the location of missing children to their parents before appropriate investigations have taken place.

[ratty]

Well said!

[Herne Hill Guest]

.

[RosieH]

Sorry Herne Hill Guest, I'm not sure what you mean. Doubtless am being dense, but what are you asking us to consider when you say it cannot have a prominent position?

[Herne Hill Guest]

.

[Huguenot]

Herne Hill Guest, you don't mention your role in this situation? It causes me some concern.

Are you aware that the Police also sometimes decide not to inform the media, or even request a coverage blackout if they feel such coverage may hamper the enquiry or even endanger the child?

I'm sure your intent is well meaning, but I'm worried you may have misinterpreted the situation, you may not be fully aware of the relevant issues, and by accident you may do something inappropriate or possibly dangerous.

The Voice tells us that both TJMP and the local police are aware of this situation along side the relevant social services.

The police are in regular contact with the forum about local issues.

These are professional and capable people, and we should be allowing them to do their job as appropriate.

[paragon]

Huguenot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think it's ridiculous to assume that the police

> and the press are ignoring this because they're

> racist (as the article states). It is far more

> likely that there is more to this than meets the

> eye.

I don't think it's that ridiculous. Papers will hype news items that will sell more papers; and white middle class dead or missing children will sell more than anyone else.

Do you think papers and TV actually cover these things in the hope of finding the kids?

[Huguenot]

I think you're demonstrating a series of assumptions of your own there paragon, and I don't think tossing around accusations is going to help anyone.

The police and the social service have the best interests of the child at their heart, working with limited budgets.

There are detailed and well thought-through strategies and approaches for dealing with situations of this sort.

Knowing nothing about the situation, we should be be very reticent to start acting independently in a way that could be very damaging.

If you'd like to help, I suggest you contact the relevant authorities and offer your services.

[louisiana]

I first read about Serena's disappearance in The Guardian, on 31 December:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/31/chris-jefferies?INTCMP=SRCH

That linked to coverage in one of the local newspapers on 23 December:

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/topstories/8755506.Police_appeal_for_missing_Tulse_Hill_girl/

[ImpetuousVrouw]

Not a lot of information about her disappearance though in the local paper and only one line in The Guardian.

[northlondoner]

Huguenot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think it's ridiculous to assume that the police

> and the press are ignoring this because they're

> racist (as the article states). It is far more

> likely that there is more to this than meets the

> reasons why the police and the social

> have taken place.

Sorry youre being naive.

[Keef]

Sorry, but you're being a conspiracy theorist.

[paragon]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sorry, but you're being a conspiracy theorist.

Why is it a conspiracy theory.....

I'd never heard of this case and I read a paper most days and look at online news for 30 mins. Compare that to the missing girl Jo Yeates who was on every front page for days.

The papers liked her case because they were white middle class, they don't go for stories that don't fit that demographic.

[hibbs]

I heard this case mentioned on the news on Capital radio this afternoon.

[paragon]

hibbs Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I heard this case mentioned on the news on Capital

> radio this afternoon.

The point is the coverage is much less than than other cases that involve middle class white women; not that there is no mention of it at all.

[Keef]

Perhaps part of the reason for that, is that woment in their 20s, with jobs, and live-in boyfriends, don't tend to go missing very often, unless something sinister has happened. As Huguenot has already pointed out, a teenager in London going missing is not really that rare. I just think that all this talk of race and class is very unhelpful. I am not naive, but I think people are barking up the wrong tree here. Anyway, fingers crossed she turns up safe!

[hibbs]

paragon Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> hibbs Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I heard this case mentioned on the news on

> Capital

> > radio this afternoon.

>

> The point is the coverage is much less than than

> other cases that involve middle class white women;

> not that there is no mention of it at all.

--------

Iyo...sorry you are not going to involve me in a discussion about race with this one, I'm with Huguenot on this

[zeban]

I did find it disturbing that the media went on about Joanna Yeates' area where she lived being affluent.

[Ridgley]

It is not about race at all, but it sometimes seems about class I just wondering if this happen to a working class women same scenario but is living in Brixton or Peckham nor matter what race she was would the coverage be the same.

[randombloke]

This was on TV on BBC London regional news bulletin yesterday evening.

[zeban]

It was on the main BBC news today at lunch time.