HEALTH AUTHORITIES yesterday confirmed that five Kenyan girls who visited Ireland to take part in a Brownie camp last year are still missing. However, it rejected reports that the girls were in State care prior to their disappearance.
In a statement yesterday, the Health Service Executive (HSE) said a party of 12 Kenyan children entered Ireland with visas to attend a Brownie event in June last year. This group, aged between 11 and 17 years, subsequently went missing.
Following a Garda investigation, six girls believed to be part of the group were later located and placed in the care of the HSE.
The whereabouts of the remaining Kenyan girls is subject to an ongoing investigation by the Garda, the HSE said.
The issue came to light at a conference in Cork at the weekend at which an official with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) raised concerns about the numbers of children who disappear from HSE care.
The official said the Kenyan children had disappeared from State care, but the ISPCC yesterday clarified that this was not the case.
A total of 388 children have disappeared from State care over the last seven years.
While many are suspected of leaving the care system to reunite with families or make their way to other countries, there is evidence that some have been trafficked into the country for exploitation.
The care system for separated children seeking asylum has been widely criticised for falling below the standard of care available to Irish children in care.
Significant numbers of children are still cared for in accommodation centres which fail to meet legal minimum standards of care or safety, health authorities have admitted.
While the overall number of children who have gone missing is high, the numbers have been falling in recent years from a high of 81 in 2001 to 32 in 2007. So far this year just one child has disappeared from State care.
The HSE yesterday said it took every case of a missing child very seriously.
David Walsh, manager with the HSE's primary community and continuing care services, said it was prioritising services for separated children seeking asylum.
"This is reflected in the increase in the proportion of children who are now accommodated in both registered children's placements and foster care," he said.
"I firmly believe that progress in relation to the issue of missing children is clearly reflected in the significant reduction in children going missing this year."
The HSE says the pattern of children going missing is similar to other EU countries. It says children may go missing for a variety of reasons.
Many leave almost immediately after arrival before it has been possible to conduct an in-depth intake assessment and interviews. These children are generally in the 16 to 17-year-old age group. Other children go missing after receiving negative results on their asylum applications, the HSE added.
The ISPCC said yesterday that while the number going missing has decreased in 2008, the fact that many children are still missing raised serious questions about the country's response to vulnerable children.
"While undoubtedly, some of these children may have been reunified with family, the concern is some may be victims of child trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and forced marriage," an ISPCC representative said.
"We are calling on all stakeholders, governmental and non governmental organisations, to work together to ensure the protection of children who are at risk of going missing." The representative said legislation, supports and services were vital.
