Today has been chosen to mark the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe, one of the first tragic cases I highlighted in this series of missing people, and one of the most unforgettable because of the normal circumstances surrounding it.

It is feared Daniel was abducted and may have been murdered after disappearing 7th December, 2003 while waiting to catch a bus for a shopping trip along the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. It was a few days before his 14th birthday. He would now be 17, the same age as my eldest son.

The 31^st October was chosen to mark Daniel’s disappearance as it is Halloween Day. It is intended to remind people that dangers do exist, but with the right education children can be safe. This is one of the key messages that a foundation set up in Daniel’s memory has been striving to achieve, to bring about a positive result out of the heartache his family have suffered.

Kathy Atkinson, from the Forever Searching website, wants us to know that The Day for Daniel is not only about the Australian community remembering Daniel, but about the world recognising the importance of teaching children about personal safety and protective behaviour.

Local schools and community groups in Daniel’s native Australia will be participating in a Walk for Daniel. Walkers have been asked to wear something red; a red tee-shirt is the symbol for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation because Daniel was wearing one when abducted.

The Walk for Daniel has 2 messages:

• It symbolises Daniel walking home from the bus stop a trip he did not make but the walkers will complete that journey for him.
• That our streets are safe provided some basic child safety education is taught to our children.

Just look at those two pictures, one of them shows goodness and innocence, a son anyone would be proud of, while the photo-fit of the suspect depicts evil and sends shivers through me.

Thousands of kids will be out at dark trick-and-treating for Halloween tonight, the key safety message is that they do not go out alone, at least in pairs, and stay together at all times.

In memory of those who are still missing.