Police appeal for help to find missing Southwark teenager

Officers are appealing for the public’s help to find a 13-year-old girl who is missing from her home in Southwark.
Mariama Kallon was reported missing on Thursday, 9 February. She attended school in Bermondsey on that day but did not return home.
It is not the first time that Mariama has gone missing. Previously she has stayed away from home overnight and has gone to school the next day as normal, however her school was not open on Friday, 10 February and this week is half term.
There have been two sightings of her in the period since she was reported missing. The first was on the morning of Friday, 10 February in the vicinity of Markham Street, Southwark and the second was on the afternoon of Monday, 13 February in Riddons Road, Lewisham.
Detective Sergeant Dick Nation, from the Central South Missing Persons Unit, said: “We believe Mariama is avoiding going home and as a result of her school being closed, has been out of contact for much longer than normal.
“There is no evidence that she has come to harm or is at any imminent risk of harm, but the duration of her disappearance is a cause for concern. She is 13 and we do not know where she is staying or who she is staying with. We do not know if she is in the company of any responsible adults.
“If you have seen Mariama or have any information on her whereabouts, please contact us.
“I would also like to send a message to Mariama if she is reading this.
“We know there are many reasons why a child may avoid going home. You are not in any trouble but we need to make sure you are safe. We are here to talk to you and to help you with whatever problems you may be having. Please call 999, speak to a police officer or ask someone you trust to contact us for you. It is really important”
Officers have issued a photo of Mariama. On the two occasions that she was seen since being reported missing she was wearing different clothing – a black top and blue trousers on 10 February and a black top, pink trousers and a heavy scarf on 13 February.
Anyone who sees Mariama should call 999 immediately.
Anyone with other information about her whereabouts should call 101, giving the reference 5645/13FEB.
Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org
FURTHER INFORMATION ON MISSING PERSON CASES:
The Met received 45,240 missing person reports in the 12 months to November 2022 relating to 21,806 individuals.
42,862 (95 per cent) were found or returned within seven days. 2,210 (five per cent) were found or returned after seven days and 168 (less than one per cent) are still missing.
2,200 of those reports were for individuals missing from the Central South Command Unit which includes Lambeth and Southwark. That is an average of six reports a day.
Investigating missing person reports is one of the most complex areas of policing and there are teams in every borough dedicated to the task. These officers use information from a variety of sources to carry out an unbiased risk assessment based on the facts of each case.
That, in turn, allows them to determine the best approach for locating an individual, including when and whether to use public appeals.
Releasing images of missing children as part of an appeal is not a decision that is taken lightly. Public appeals can leave a lasting digital trail and can have a significant impact on those whose image and information is put into the public domain.
Decisions are taken after careful consideration and discussions with family members or guardians as appropriate. Wherever possible we like to have the agreement of the family but can, when the circumstances require, proceed with appeals on senior officer authority alone.
In the age of social media where people are used to seeing news and updates in real time, the absence of proactive appeals has sometimes been misinterpreted as a lack of police activity, particularly when one case is compared to another, unrelated case. In reality, this is more likely to be a reflection of the fact that each case is different and requires its own approach.
Even in cases without significant publicity, the public can be reassured that work will be going on behind the scenes to find the missing person and bring them home safely.