Belgium · Child Focus

Issue date25 May 2016

Total mintage1,020,000

EU maximum1,020,000

Editions3

Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted

InscriptionMISSING-DISPARU-VERMIST / WWW.CHILDFOCUS.BE / BELGIQUE-BELGIE-BELGIEN / 2016

DesignerLuc Luycx

mintKoninklijke Munt van Belgie, Brussel

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin is dedicated to Missing Children’s Day. The design shows the face of a child surrounded by the inscriptions “MISSING-DISPARU-VERMIST” and “WWW.CHILDFOCUS.BE”. The country designation “BELGIQUE-BELGIE-BELGIEN” is also shown.

The design

In the centre of the inner part of the coin, the face of a child is depicted. Along the coin’s ring, the inscriptions “MISSING-DISPARU-VERMIST”, “WWW.CHILDFOCUS.BE” and the designation of the issuing country in three languages, “BELGIQUE-BELGIE-BELGIEN”, followed by the year of minting 2016, can be read. The mint mark of Brussels, the helmeted head of the Archangel Michael, and the mint master’s mark are engraved to the left and right of the motif, respectively.

The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.

Background on the topic

International Missing Children’s Day is observed annually on 25 May. The date commemorates six-year-old Etan Patz, who disappeared on his way to school in New York on 25 May 1979. His case received extensive public attention and shaped the way missing-person cases were handled in the USA. In 1983, US President Ronald Reagan declared 25 May National Missing Children’s Day. The commemorative day was later adopted in other countries as well. It serves to remember children who are still missing, publicize prevention measures and draw attention to the consequences for the families affected.

In Belgium, the issue is closely connected with the abduction and abuse cases that came to light in the 1990s during the investigations into Marc Dutroux. The crimes and failures within the police and the justice system triggered a political and social crisis. In October 1996, hundreds of thousands of people took part in the so-called Weißen Marsch in Brussels. They expressed their solidarity with the families of the children affected and called for better cooperation among the responsible authorities.

Against this backdrop, Child Focus was established, Belgium’s centre for missing and sexually exploited children. The organisation began its work in 1998. It handles tips and calls for help concerning missing minors, parental child abductions and sexual exploitation. It also supports families and works with the police, the justice system and comparable bodies abroad. A free emergency telephone number makes it possible to report missing-person cases or pass on information.

The choice of this occasion for a circulation coin gave the issue nationwide visibility. Coins also reach people who do not come into deliberate contact with prevention campaigns or missing-person notices. At the same time, the issue drew attention to the work of Child Focus and to the possibility of reporting observations concerning a missing-person case. The commemorative day thus combines remembrance of disappeared children with a practical call for vigilance and assistance.