Serbia Must Amend Missing Persons Alert System to Protect Vulnerable Adults

Brussels/Zrenjanin ‒ The Roma Foundation for Europe expresses deep concern over the failure to activate Serbia’s national missing persons alert system in the case of Manuel Amet, a 19-year-old autistic young man who disappeared on 15 February and was found dead eight days later.

According to the governing regulation adopted by the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media, the “Pronađi me” alert system can only be activated for missing minors. As Manuel had turned 18, the system was not triggered.

This exclusion is not the result of technical failure. It is the result of a regulatory limitation that restricts activation based solely on age, regardless of vulnerability.

Manuel was severely autistic, on daily medication and unable to care for himself independently. His father reported him missing within 30 minutes and provided video footage to the authorities. Despite the existence of a national alert infrastructure capable of mobilising the public within minutes, it was not used.

A Correctable Regulatory Gap

Launched in October 2023 and co-financed by the European Union, “Pronađi me” represents an important reform in Serbia’s emergency response system. However, its current design excludes vulnerable adults, including persons with severe autism, intellectual disabilities or medical conditions that significantly impair independent functioning.

The Roma Foundation for Europe calls on the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media to revise the activation criteria to include vulnerable adults whose condition places them at serious risk.

Institutional Accountability

The family has also raised concerns regarding the initial police response. Article 59 of Serbia’s Law on Police requires immediate action when a missing person is reported. The ongoing investigation must establish clearly whether all legal obligations were fulfilled.

“We expect full transparency regarding the actions taken in the first hours after Manuel was reported missing,” Haliti added. “Where the law requires immediate response, practice must reflect that obligation.”

The Roma Foundation further calls on the Ministry of Interior to ensure consistent operational guidance so that no vulnerable adult is ever advised to wait when the law requires immediate action. Written confirmation of every missing persons report should be issued to families at the time of reporting as a basic safeguard of accountability.

EU Standards and Fundamental Rights

Given that the alert system is co-financed by the European Union, the European Commission should assess whether the exclusion of vulnerable adults is consistent with the fundamental rights standards Serbia has committed to uphold as part of the accession process.

Standing With the Family

“Manuel was Roma. He was autistic. He was legally an adult. None of these facts should reduce the urgency of the institutional response,” Haliti stated. “While the regulatory exclusion applies to all vulnerable adults, this case has resonated deeply among families who already experience difficulty accessing institutions in practice.”

The Roma Foundation for Europe stands with Manuel’s family in their call for corrective action.

Amending the alert criteria and strengthening procedural safeguards will not reverse this tragedy. But it would ensure that vulnerable adults are no longer excluded from a system designed to protect those in immediate danger.