“I was told that someone took Amber. I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. I just lost it. I started screaming her name. Praying that she would answer me. She was gone.”
– Donna Williams, Amber Hagerman’s mother
Today, January 13, is International AMBER Alert Day. On this day, AMBER Alert initiatives around the globe are highlighted. It marks the day on which the 9 year old Amber Hagerman from Arlington, Texas, was abducted in 1996.
The unsolved abduction and murder of Amber Hagerman is the most famous case of its kind in the United States history. The tragedy led to the creation of the American AMBER Alert system. AMBER stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created as a legacy to Amber.
AMBER Alerts in Europe
Other countries followed the example of the American AMBER Alert plan. The latest addition to this growing list is AMBER Alert Malta, which was launched only 3 days ago in cooperation with AMBER Alert Europe. “A single missing, endangered child is one too many (…) Please help us save a missing child’s life,” said Carmelo Abela, Minister for Home Affairs and National Security.
Minister Abela urged European Union Member States, that have not yet adopted an AMBER Alert system, to do so immediately to ensure that as many missing or abducted children as possible are recovered safely. As for today, 18 European Member States have an AMBER Alert system in place.
Amber’s story made a difference for lots of abducted and missing children. Join the search. Now.
Launch AMBER Alert Malta: Laurence Cutajar, Commissioner of the Malta Police Force, Carmelo Abela, Minister for Home Affairs and National Security and Frank Hoen, President of AMBER Alert Europe
