The National Registry of Missing Persons (Renaped) currently lists 111 minors as missing in Paraguay, according to official data from the National Police. Commissioner Ramón Vera of the Search and Location Department detailed that the registry, established by Law No. 7605 and updated quarterly, shows 28 cases involving children aged 0 to 13 and 83 cases involving adolescents aged 14 to 17.
According to police analysis, the predominant causes vary by age group. For adolescents, most disappearances are attributed to voluntary runaways motivated by rebelliousness and intrafamily conflicts. "Most of those who remain missing are adolescents, considering the rebellious situation many present in their homes," said Vera, who also linked the behavior to parental responsibility in child-rearing.
Among younger children, the main cause identified is custody disputes between parents. "Most of the cases we are seeing are due to problems in the couples' relationship arrangements. Often, the mother leaves home with her minor child and the father is unaware of their whereabouts," explained the commissioner, stressing that these situations are generally not linked to street crimes.
Authorities emphasize the importance of formalizing the minor's return. When a child or adolescent returns home, the family must notify the police station for an "extension of the report," presenting a current photograph to officially close the search. Meanwhile, the overall Renaped balance indicates a positive outcome in locations: while there are 364 missing persons in total (including adults), 1,393 have already been located.
Vera attributes part of this efficiency to the implementation of the so-called Mafe Law, inspired by the international Amber Alert system, which allows for location through the Meta platform. The law was created in memory of María Fernanda Benítez, a girl who disappeared and was murdered in May 2025. For assistance, the Police maintain a direct emergency line: (0986) 760-083.