Family slam Met Police over search for missing Sidcup girl

Aaliyah Chen, 15, went missing from her family home in Sidcup on Monday, having last been seen at around 9.30pm on the evening of Sunday, September 5.

In a desperate appeal, her family said they were "terribly worried for her safety" and it was thought she had been influenced by an older man who she had run away with.

On Thursday, September 9, police announced they had found the missing schoolgirl in a 'wooded area' in Croydon.

The girl was taken to a south London hospital as a precaution but is reported safe and well. Officers said a 23-year-old male was arrested at the scene in connection with her disappearance.

15-year-old Aaliyah. Family handout

But Aaliyah's family have claimed that police badly mishandled the case, first missing a chance to intercept the pair and then misclassifying the case.

Speaking to the Guardian, the 15-year-old's aunt Laura Rushe said: " “The first 36 hours felt like they were wasted. Information we provided was not given to the search team.”

On the Saturday before the disappearance, her mum discovered a diary which included plans to run away with the man.

The family allege officers said they would visit addresses linked to the older man, namely one in Brixton, at approximately 7.30am on the Monday. At 3pm the same day, when they checked with police, the family claim they were told this had not happened.

“If they had gone when they were supposed to they may have got them,” Rushe said.

The family also slammed police for classing the case as medium risk, having to then appeal to a senior office in person to have it upgraded to a high-risk missing persons case.

Rushe said different officers did not know what evidence and information others had. “Their coordination is appalling, one team did not know the other team had the diaries,” she said. “We have told the Met we will put an official complaint in.”