Maureen Trask

We continue to support families of missing persons, thanks to CMHA Waterloo Wellington. To learn more, read and share with your network. ❤️

@DrLornaFerguson Oct. 16, 2025 Remains of missing Edmonton teen Samuel Bird found, 2nd-degree murder charge laid | Remains of missing Edmonton teen Samuel Bird found, 2nd-degree murder charge laid | Globalnews.ca Heartfelt condolences to the family and friends.❤️

Samuel Bird, 14, is still missing. Edmonton Police have now classified his disappearance as “suspicious,” shifting search efforts to the North Saskatchewan River. Sharing this to help raise awareness and bring attention to Samuel’s case, in the hope that his family receives answers and that Samuel is found safe. Grateful to @CBCSamSamson for having me on to share insights on how police investigate missing children cases. Watch here and please share with your networks: cbc.ca/player/play/vi…

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@MCompassMedia "Thanks" M Compass for your article, shining a light on this long overdue ratification of the protocol, and the tireless efforts of Tom Brown to advocate for not only this important protocol, but also for the protection of children and the Missing.

𝐓𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬: 𝟐𝟖 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐄𝐔 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐔𝐍 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 Veteran child protection campaigner Tom Brown has renewed his call for the Irish Government to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), describing it as “a moral imperative” and warning that continued delay places vulnerable children at risk. The protocol, which Ireland signed in 2000 but has yet to ratify, strengthens legal protections against some of the most severe violations of children’s rights, including the sale of children, child prostitution, and the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. Once it’s ratified it becomes a legally binding international treaty that aims to protect children from the worst forms of exploitation. Mr Brown, whose sister Ellen has been missing for over 25 years, became an activist after years of campaigning to improve child protection systems. In 2011, he and fellow campaigners succeeded in bringing the 116000 EU Missing Children Hotline to Ireland. However, he says much of the Government’s broader commitment to children’s rights remains “unfulfilled.” “Ireland is now one of fewer than 20 countries worldwide and the only EU member state that has yet to ratify this treaty,” Mr Brown says. “This is not just a legal obligation. Every day we delay, we fail the children we claim to protect.” Among his demands are the public display of the 116000 hotline number in visible public areas such as airports, train stations, Garda stations, bus depots, and schools, as well as urgent ratification of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which aims to tackle online child exploitation and abuse. Ireland is currently the only member of the Council of Europe that has signed but not ratified the Budapest Convention. Mr Brown is also calling for the repeal of Section 19A of the Criminal Evidence Act 1992, which permits the defence in criminal trials to apply for access to the private counselling records of sexual abuse victims, including children. He described the provision as an “anti-victim rule,” noting that it has been widely criticised by survivors, NGOs, and international human rights monitors including the Council of Europe. His campaign has received the backing of the Preda Foundation, an internationally recognised human rights organisation focused on the protection of children. As of July 2025, Ireland remains outside the formal list of states that have ratified the Second Optional Protocol, despite repeated government assurances over the past decade that ratification is a priority. The call from Tom Brown echoes the growing demands from the Alliance of Birthmothers Campaigning for Justice, whose members have long argued that the State’s child protection apparatus fails both the children it removes and the families it dismantles. The revelation when Tusla CEO, Kate Duggan appeared before the Dáil Children’s Committee on 10 July that 28 children remain missing from Tusla care is not an isolated scandal but part of a broader pattern of state neglect and lack of accountability. Birthmothers across Ireland know this system all too well, one that is quick to separate families but slow to protect, quick to intervene but reluctant to admit when it has failed. Until the Irish government ratifies the international conventions that uphold children’s rights and restores meaningful safeguards at home, it is not legally bound to implement the provisions in the treaties and it cannot be held to account by agencies outside of the country when children go missing and are sexually exploited. Campaigners like Brown and the Alliance will continue to ask the questions the State cannot answer: Where are the missing children?

Just released: 2025 "Coping with a Missing Person" Peer Support Group session information.  Thanks to Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington Self Help and Peer Support dedicated staff and volunteer facilitators and @MaureenTrask for their work on providing this invaluable resource for #families and #lovedones of the #missing in Canada and beyond. Please share.

@LFrgsn @MemorialU @R_Ricciardelli Wow, I'm so happy for you, Congrats!

Today the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships recipients were announced. I'm thrilled to share that I was awarded the Banting to continue my work on policing, search and rescue, and missing persons at @MemorialU with @R_Ricciardelli, starting September 2024. #BantingCanada

Please read and share, Derrick Hines is still missing from Huntsville, Alabama, USA. x.com/HsvPolice/stat…

Missing Persons is one responsibility within Policing. This video gets to the root of why it's so difficult to get police attention or action when it comes to Missing Persons, lot's on their plate. What do you think? youtu.be/NidnnvZ_cH8

@Kirsty_MBennett @thecaseadvocate @SiblingsMissing @clyons_wilts If I hear about a similar project here in Canada, I'll definitely let you know, thanks!

@MaureenTrask @thecaseadvocate @SiblingsMissing @clyons_wilts It needs covering further afield than the UK! It would be great if someone over there wanted to do a similar project, and I’d be happy to help

Excited to be starting my project exploring experiences for the families of their missing or murdered loved ones. Completely voluntary, but please share or get in touch if you’re willing/able to help! @thecaseadvocate @SiblingsMissing #Missing #coldcase @clyons_wilts

Missing: Missing - Charles Horvath crimecrushing.com/case/d19f93a5-… via @CrimeCrushing #CrimeCrushing

2024 Peer Support Group Flyer, please share.

@PleaseHelpFind4 Sending Hope for answers to find Daniel. Someone, somewhere, knows something. 💗

Through the Holidays, I am asking you to please keep Daniel and our family in your prayers. Happy Holidays to you and to everyone you love. Remember, Family first.

New program aims to help Windsor kids who repeatedly go missing msn.com/en-ca/news/oth…

PLEASE SIGN ANDREW'S COMMUNITY TREATMENT ORDER BILL PETITION - Sign the Petition! chng.it/hQ9nxLGr via @CdnChange

Voted for "Trail of the Lost" in the Opening Round of the 2023 #GoodreadsChoice Awards goodreads.com/choiceawards/b… via @goodreads

Oct. 18, 2023 Yukon Missing Persons Act now in effect. yukon-news.com/news/yukon-gra…

@LFrgsn Awesome, you are very deserving! ❤️

Proud to be a finalist in the SSHRC Talent Award competition. "Lorna Ferguson is recognized as a champion in bringing forward the very best ideas in the social sciences and humanities, and in helping us understand and improve the world around us, today and into the future."

URGENT: Your action will help this family bring their son Andrew home to PEI after missing for nearly one year and found struggling with severe mental illness and physical deterioration on the streets of Toronto. Please read, sign and share, thanks. chng.it/TMKMZfHH2p