On average, ten people are reported missing daily in Catalonia, according to a new Mossos d’Esquadra report. While the regional police successfully resolve 98% of these cases, 2025 figures reveal a concerning upward trend in disappearances among the region’s most vulnerable: children and the elderly.
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Last year, the Mossos d’Esquadra processed 3,682 disappearance reports. This data, released to coincide with the Day of the Disappeared without Apparent Cause, reveals a dual reality. On one hand, police efficiency is high, with over half of all cases resolved within three days and two-thirds within a week. On the other, the statistics paint a worrying picture for specific demographics.
The Rising Toll on Minors and Seniors
The youngest and oldest age groups saw the most significant increases. Disappearances of children under 12 surged by 26%, from 76 cases in 2024 to 96 in 2025. Cases involving adolescents aged 13 to 17 also climbed by 3.3% to 857. Meanwhile, reports concerning individuals over 65 grew by 6.4%, reaching 299 for the year. This sharp rise in cases involving vulnerable people, such as the ongoing search for a missing mother and her baby in Barcelona, adds urgency to law enforcement and support groups’ work.
Conversely, disappearances within the largest demographic, adults aged 18 to 64, decreased, with 2,420 reports filed in 2025. The overall gender split for disappearances was 59% male and 41% female. This increase in missing minors highlights persistent social risks, a topic also underscored by recent judicial cases, such as the jailing of a fake pastor in L’hospitalet for abusing minors.
Behind the Numbers: The Criminal Element
While disappearances with a criminal origin account for just 0.62% of total complaints, they represent the most complex and tragic cases. In 2025, the Mossos’ Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) managed two investigations into violent deaths where the victim’s body was concealed.
In one case, a year-long investigation led to the discovery of a man’s remains in a septic tank in Sant Jaume dels Domenys. The other concerns Mónica de la Llana, who disappeared in La Morera de Montsant; her body remains undiscovered, but her ex-partner faces pre-trial detention, accused of her murder, as ABC Cataluña first reported.
Historical police data reveals a grim pattern. Since 2010, the DIC’s Central Unit for Missing Persons has investigated 27 homicides involving body concealment. The DIC determined that a staggering 20 of these cases, or 72%, were feminicides. This stark figure underscores gender-based violence as a primary driver in the most violent disappearance cases, a central theme for activists at Barcelona’s divided Women’s Day marches. In contrast, only five historical cases linked to organised crime, such as rings police occasionally dismantle for offences like the illegal harvesting of ‘green gold’.
Innovative Policing and Enduring Pain for Families
The Mossos emphasise their commitment to a robust investigative methodology aimed at preventing impunity, even when perpetrators destroy evidence. This approach has led to three groundbreaking convictions in Spain, secured by the DIC, where the accused was found guilty without the victim’s body, a confession, or direct witnesses.
Despite these investigative successes, police acknowledge the profound and lasting impact on families, who endure “indefinite grief” as long as their loved one’s remains are unrecovered. To address this, the force’s Office for Attention to Families of Missing Persons has become a national benchmark.
Last year, the office supported 213 new families and handled over 800 enquiries, providing crucial updates on investigations, legal guidance, and emotional support. This continuous contact, as detailed in a statement seen by Metrópoli Abierta, provides a vital lifeline for those navigating the uncertainty and pain of a loved one’s disappearance.
