News

Canadian PM vows to protect children

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-26 08:23

OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Tuesday that more than 50,000 children are reported missing in Canada each year, vowing to further crack down on crimes against children.

Harper made these remarks in his office in downtown Ottawa in the presence of parents of missing children.

He welcomed the launch of the Canadian Center for Child Protection's new website: MissingKids.ca, which will contribute to reducing the number of children who go missing in Canada every year.

"Our government is taking decisive action and working closely with groups such as the Canadian Center for Child Protection to safeguard the most vulnerable and innocent members of our society - our children," he said. "This website constitutes an important step towards keeping Canadian children safe."

The website MissingKids.ca provides a vital link and information portal for parents, particularly of missing children, and an in-depth resource for law enforcement agencies across Canada.

It is designed to assist in finding missing children, provide educational materials to help prevent children from going missing, serve as an information resource center on missing children, and coordinate efforts and assist stakeholders in the delivery of missing children services.

The Canadian Center for Child Protection is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the personal safety of all children. Its goal is to reduce child victimization by providing programs and services to the Canadian public.

MissingKids.ca is being launched one day prior to National Missing Children's Day - a day to commemorate missing children who have been found, remember those who have been victims of crime and continue efforts to find those who are still missing.