Book Review No 17: Missing You - by Justine Ford

Although a very interesting and easy to read book, Missing You is also a very sad collection of stories focusing on missing people in Australia. I'm not sure of the exact statistic, but a lot more people go missing in this country than you hear about in the media. Fortunately most of them do turn up, but for the small percentage that don't, the result is unimaginable heartbreak for the family and friends left behind.

Justine Ford has selected a handful of particularly perplexing cases - both recent and some dating back several decades. While we may all have heard of the missing Beaumont children, few of us are probably aware of the three year old girl named Linda who was snatched from a beach in Wollongong in 1970 and was never seen again. It is obvious that her family are still grieving for their lost daughter/sibling despite the passage of time. And in telling stories like these you come to understand that the not knowing is the very worst agony. As horrific as a death is, at least you know and can grieve. When somebody goes missing without a trace all you can do is wonder and hope (however futile it may seem).

Another thing this book does is highlight several cases where a body has been found but no identification made. Some of these bodies stay in morgues for years, waiting for somebody to claim them and arrange burial. I was surprised to read of such a case in my area - an unidentified body found in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast several years ago. This man remains unidentified, despite a huge effort in trying to trace his identity. It is hard to fathom in this current age of information and technology that people can disappear without anybody reporting them missing. It is also very sad.

The author also explains the ongoing efforts made by police to solve cases that have faded into the background, applying new technology to try and find some answers. Often police officers go well above and beyond the call of duty to try and bring closure to devastated family and friends. Ultimately though true breakthroughs are few and far between.

In writing this book Justine Ford has shone a spotlight on just a few of the thousands of missing persons cases still outstanding and reminded us as readers that the heartbreak that surrounds such cases lives on long after the media spotlight has faded.