Police concerned for welfare of missing Townsville children

Do you recognise these children? Police are concerned for up to 14 children who have been reported missing from the Townsville area.

Police are concerned for an unusually high number of missing Townsville children, with some as young as 12 years old who have not returned home.

Townsville district duty officer Senior Sergeant Ian Wilkie said 14 children, aged between 12 and 17 years old, were missing from around the city.

He said police were pouring “a lot of resources” into locating the missing children.

The missing kids include a 12-year-old girl last seen at Dugong Cres, Mount Louisa on February 28.

This girl, 12, is missing. She was last seen at Dugong Crescent, Mount Louisa on Friday, February 28, 2020 about 10.30am.

A 15-year-old girl last seen at Dugong Cct went missing on February 25.

This girl, 15, was reported missing. She was last seen at Dugong Circuit, Mount Louisa on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 about 1.15pm.

Another 15-year-old girl went missing on February 18 from a home at Armistice St, Burdell.

This girl, 15, was reported missing. She was last seen at Armistice St, Burdell, on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 about 4pm.

A 15-year-old boy last seen at Charles St, Heatley went missing on February 8.

This boy, 15, is missing. He was last seen on Charles St, Heatley on Saturday, February 8, 2020 about 1pm.

A 16-year-old boy, who went missing on January 30, was last seen at Hugh St, Townsville.

This boy, 16, is missing. He was last seen at Hugh St, West End on Thursday, January 30, 2020 about 2pm.

Police warned people to not approach any of the children and to call police.

Multiple kids were known to police but some were missing from their family homes.

Sen Sgt Wilkie asked parents of teenagers to check to see if they had any children staying over at their house and possibly report them to police.

A Townsville youth carer, who spoke to the Townsville Bulletin on Sunday, said carers had no control of kids in care homes.

She said the children could come and go as they pleased, and carers could not report certain children as missing to police.

Her frustration came after a carer was photographed sitting next to a teenage boy chroming last week.

Chroming in Crestbrook Park, Mount Louisa.

She said carers’ “hands were tied” and they could not physically restrain any child in care.

Queensland Police data revealed a spike in property crime offences since the amendment of the Youth Justice Act in December.

Originally published as Police concerned for welfare of missing Townsville children