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Missing 12-year-old girl Maria Mino was last seen a week ago and is believed to be with an older male who is not part of her immediate family or wider whānau.
But, one week on, details around where Mino is – and who she is with – remain scant.
Do you know more? Email aucklandnewsroom@stuff.co.nz
When pressed by Stuff about why this is, a spokesperson said that “missing people have a right to privacy” and that “there may also be sensitives around aspects of an investigation”.
‘We have been reporting information that enquiries into the missing person report has brought to light – this information has changed.
NZ POLICE/Supplied
Police say they believe Mino is with people “much older than herself”.
“We also need to balance considerations to a person’s personal situation with the amount of information released to the general public,” the spokesperson said.
Here’s what we do know.
Maria was last seen at her home on Maugham Drive in Bucklands Beach on Friday, August 11 – but police didn’t appeal to the public for help finding her until Wednesday evening.
In a since deleted Facebook post, police said they believed “Maria is most likely with her older boyfriend in the West Auckland, or Auckland CBD area”.
“Maria’s family and police have concerns for her welfare and ask anyone who sights Maria to contact police as soon as possible,” the post said.
On Thursday afternoon, police then announced that Maria had made contact with her family, but didn’t release any further details about what she said.
“While we do not have immediate concerns for her safety, we are still concerned that she is in the company of persons much older than herself.
“We would still like to speak with her,” a police spokesperson said.
Later on Thursday, police provided Stuff with an additional statement that said Maria is a “12-year-old girl who should be at home with her family”.
“She is believed to be associating with adults who are not immediate or wider whānau members.”
Stuff have asked police when Maria was first reported missing, how old the man she’s believed to be with is, whether police will be releasing his details and whether police believe Maria is still within the Auckland boarder.
Police did not answer these questions.
Anyone who has information on Maria’s whereabouts is urged to contact police on 105 and quote file number 230812/5064.
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