CFPE Enfants Disparus was asked to coordinate, in France, all activities related to the hotline and the management of the follow-up team. Counsellors from the Cofely Inéo telephone platform take incoming calls and transfer cases to the lawyers of CFPE Enfants Disparus.
The telephone platform
Cofely Inéo manages the telephone platform. Calls are taken by trained counsellors. They ensure that the family has reported the child’s disappearance to the Police or the Gendarmerie. After taking initial details from the caller, the counsellor evaluates the request, informs the follow-up team. 116 000 is a free number from any phone in metropolitan France and its overseas departements, 7/7 and 24h/24.
The follow-up team
The CFPE Enfants Disparus follow-up team coordinates all the hotline’s activity and the management of open cases. Case officers are lawyers who have specialized in the disappearance of children.
Case officers
- Once passed the case, the officer calls the family back and makes a detailed note of the situation and action so far taken. He advises families as required in the legal and administrative formalities that need to be completed.
- The case officer works closely with regional victim support officers (Police/Gendarmerie), the Ministry of Justice (the central department dealing with parental child abductions) lawyers, social workers, magistrates etc.
- The case officer acts as a real link/interface between the investigative services and families and keeps them regularly updated on progress in the case as their representatives in the search. He remains the family’s single point of contact till the case is closed.
