Police launch urgent appeal for ‘loved and missed’ teen missing for over a week

18 January 2024 , 09:26

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Police were looking for a missing schoolgirl (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Julia has since been found safe and well.

Metropolitan Police have launched an urgent appeal for a 16-year-old London schoolgirl who vanished after she left her home last week. Julia Skala disappeared in Mitcham, Southwest London at around 1pm on Monday, January 8.

The teenager was wearing a black North Face jacket, black trousers and white Nike trainers, and was said to be carrying a black Nike rucksack. She was reported missing the following morning and an investigation was launched Officers have carried out extensive enquiries over the past eight days, including recovering CCTV from the area and house-to-house enquiries, but still have no indication of where she might be.

Her family, from Mitcham, said Julia is "loved and missed terribly. No matter what the reason was for you to leave, you aren't in any kind of trouble and we just want to know you are safe. Please, just let someone know you are OK."

Superintendent Josh Laughton, from the local policing team in south-west London, said: "Julia's family have told us it is unusual for her to be away from home for this long. While there's no evidence to suggest she has come to harm, we are growing increasingly concerned about her welfare.

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"We use a range of tactics to trace the movements of a missing person, however despite our enquiries, we still have no indication of where she is. Julia has links to Lambeth, Camden and Islington. It's likely she would have travelled by public transport. I would ask anyone who thinks they may have seen her over the past week to come forward immediately."

Claire Kelland, the detective chief superintendent in charge of policing for Merton, said the force has gathered "hours of CCTV and doorbell footage" and spoken to "many people".

She added: "Julia has never been away from home for this long and obviously her family are extremely worried. While there is no evidence to suggest she has come to harm, we are growing increasingly concerned about her welfare. She did not take her mobile phone with her and there has been no activity on social media or known contact with her friends. We also do not believe she had a credit or travel card, or any cash when she left the house."

The public are being urged to report immediate sightings by calling 999 and quoting the reference 24MIS000879.

Non-urgent information can be shared by calling 101, or you can also contact the Missing Person's charity anonymously on 116 000.

Zahra Khaliq