Metaxourgeio: alert over the disappearance of a 30-year-old

The authorities have been placed on alert over the disappearance of a 30-year-old woman from the Metaxourgeio area of Athens. According to the news outlet Lawandorder.gr, the organisation “The Smile of the Child” made public on Wednesday 19 August the details of Maria Filakouri, at the request of her family, since according to the announcement there are grounds that place her life at risk. The 30-year-old has been missing since Wednesday 12 August, that is for one week. The details of a missing adult are made public only with the consent of their relatives and when it is judged that publicity may help in locating them.

The announcement gives a description of the 30-year-old, so that she can be recognised by members of the public. She is 1.65 metres tall, of slim build, with black hair and brown eyes, and she has a piercing in her nose and in her upper lip, on the left side. On the day of her disappearance she was wearing a black top, black trousers and slippers, and she was carrying a carrycot and had a cat with her. Details of this kind, such as distinguishing features and the objects a person has with them, are often decisive for recognition in densely populated urban areas. The authorities ask anyone who has seen this woman not to try to intervene themselves, but to inform the police or the organisation’s helpline immediately.

The Silver Alert mechanism and the corresponding procedures for missing adults are activated by “The Smile of the Child” in cooperation with the Hellenic Police, while the information is channelled through the media, social media and the 1056 telephone line. Metaxourgeio lies in the centre of Athens, in an area with intense movement, a large number of people passing through and a significant population living in precarious conditions. Its geographical proximity to metro and urban rail stations widens the zone within which someone may have moved over the course of a week. The first hours and days after a disappearance are considered the most critical, yet searches continue when a longer period has passed as well, making use of every new piece of information.

The authorities have not announced the circumstances in which the 30-year-old’s trail was lost, nor whether there are any indications of criminal action. Nor has it become known whether any activity from her mobile phone has been traced or whether material from security cameras in the area has been used. Anyone who knows anything relevant can contact the National Helpline for Children 1056, which operates around the clock, or the nearest police authority. The 30-year-old’s family has asked for the public’s assistance and the search is continuing with the participation of the competent services.