AS Roma supports Italy’s first National Day of Missing Persons

Established this year by the Extraordinary Government Commissioner for Missing Persons, the date of the initiative is symbolic: as it was in Italy on this day over 20 years ago that a mother of two children seemingly disappeared into thin air.

The issue of missing people is a subject close to the heart of all those working at AS Roma.

Earlier this year, the club launched a social media campaign designed to generate awareness about individual cases of missing children in Italy and across the world. The campaign - which began in conjunction with Telefono Azzurro in Italy, and eventually featured 109 children from 12 different countries - saw the club use transfer announcement videos of new signings on social media to raise awareness of missing children.

The campaign proved an incredible success, with football fans sharing the videos on social media, exposing millions of new people to the missing children posters contained in the videos.

To date, five children who appeared in the AS Roma missing children videos – two girls from London, a boy and girl in Kenya and a boy from Belgium – have all been found safe and well.

"The National Day of the Disappeared is a way for the entire country to actively remember the people we have lost track of," said prefect Giuliana Perrotta, the Extraordinary Commissioner for Missing Persons.

"In this context, the praiseworthy initiative linked to missing children, promoted by AS Roma in collaboration with Telefono Azzurro and other international charities and organisations committed to the issue, shows how it is possible to create synergies between institutions and civil society in order to contribute to improving awareness about individual cases and the prevention of new cases.

“I must say a sincere thanks to the commitment and generosity shown on this occasion by the world of football.”

Paul Rogers, chief strategy officer at AS Roma, commented: “We’re very keen to support the National Day of the Disappeared in Italy. Working on the missing children campaign in the summer, we were introduced to the mothers and fathers of some of the children who had gone missing.

"While we naturally focus on the individuals missing, it’s critical that we don’t forget those left behind with so many unanswered questions.

“There is nothing more painful than being unexpectedly separated from your loved ones and hopefully, with the introduction of this new national day in Italy, we can all spare some moments to think not just about those who have gone missing, but also those left behind with broken hearts.”

On the first ever National Day of the Disappeared in Italy, AS Roma would like to take the opportunity to once again share details of the missing Italian children who featured in this summer’s social media campaign with Telefono Azzurro.