GIRLS as young as ten have been reported missing more than 7000 times in Scotland over the past two years, figures show.
Freedom of Information data obtained by The Herald shows that there were 3,461 incidents logged by police through the pandemic from April 1, 2020-July 5, 2021 and involving girls aged 10-16.
Police Scotland was asked how many of the girls were deemed at risk of sexual exploitation but did not provide this data citing cost reasons.
The previous year, from April 2019 to April 2020, 4,138 reports were received, suggesting lockdown restrictions may have limited opportunities for children to leave the family home or care settings.
READ MORE: Call for urgent action as online grooming grows 80% over five years
A breakdown of last year’s figures shows Lanarkshire recorded the highest number of incidents with 727 girls reported missing although reports may include multiple reports for the same child.
Edinburgh had the second highest tally with 450 girls reported missing and was followed by the Lothians and Scottish Borders where 425 reports were received.
The lowest missing child files were recorded in Argyle and West Dunbartonshire where 38 incidents were logged.
It comes amid a warning that extra money and pressure to reform have failed to improve access to mental health services for children and teenagers.
The number of young people waiting more than a year for specialist help has trebled in the past year, the country’s public service watchdog revealed.
Audit Scotland said it was a “real marker of the pandemic’s impact” than the proportion of children and adolescents waiting so long had increased from 6 to 18 per cent.
Interim controller of audit Antony Clark said a third of young people were now waiting longer than the Scottish Government’s 18-week target for specialist treatment.
This has climbed from 26% in 2017/18 to 33% in 2020/21.
READ MORE: Year-long waits for child mental health services treble in Scotland
The target is for 90% of referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to start within 18 weeks, but only one of Scotland’s 14 health boards met it last year.
While NHS Ayrhsire and Arran saw 96% of CAMHS referrals on time, the Scotland-wide average was 67%, with NHS Forth Valley seeing just 39% inside 18 weeks.
Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs manager, said: "Children go missing for many reasons; some are trying to escape from difficult or traumatic situations, while others will have been groomed for exploitation.
“It is vital that all children who go missing are treated as vulnerable, and where there is any intelligence or evidence that the child is at risk of being abused then immediate effective steps must be made to find them and take them to a safe place.
“It is so important that young people are aware that whatever they are going through, they will be listened to and help and support is always available.”
READ MORE: Rising numbers of children attending hospital for self-harm
Police and social services in England were accused of failing thousands of girls as young as 11 who have been reported missing repeatedly while at risk of sexual abuse.
An investigation by The Times, earlier this year, found one child in West Yorkshire had disappeared 197 times in three years despite being known to the authorities as a potential victim of sexual exploitation, an investigation has found.
Internal police reports include a finding that there is “little evidence of the exploiters being investigated”, and child protection experts said officers wrongly viewed victims who went missing repeatedly as lost causes.
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