The Missing NZ

Statistics indicate around 14,000 people are reported missing in New Zealand every year. Many of these people are found, or turn up of their own accord but there are still approximately 250 official unsolved cases.

On top of this there are hundreds of families not officially listed as missing but who have been separated by tragedy, misfortune or circumstance. When a loved one goes missing, New Zealanders are forced to cope without a mother, father, brother or sister and this leaves a gaping hole in their lives.

New Zealand has only one person assigned to its Missing Persons Bureau, which covers both the North and South Islands and there is NO missing persons website available to the public to use as a resource.

National missing persons records are not open to the general public and while the Salvation Army release their missing persons list once a year, a name is usually not enough information to track someone down or recognise them by. This means that unless information is released through the media and updated regularly, New Zealand's missing are more often forgotten about by everyone else but their families and loved ones.

The eight main cases we feature will be thoroughly investigated by a team of experts.

In each episode we will look at the lives of the families who have lost a loved one and the impact that having no reunion and no closure has had. We will look closely at the life of the person who has gone missing. (Source: tvnz)