Valérie Bénaïm: "Even one more runaway can be one runaway too many."

Journalist, producer, presenter and columnist on the show All shiny and new Valérie Bénaïm publishes on W9 They have disappeared…Published on March 11, 2026 by Fayard, this book investigates a disturbing and still poorly understood reality: the disappearances of minors in France. Through field research and poignant testimonies, it sheds light on a troubling reality and examines the shortcomings of our society in the face of children's vulnerability. InterviewsShe looks back at the behind-the-scenes aspects of this investigation and calls for collective awareness.

Aimé Kaniki: Your book They disappeared It tackles a particularly sensitive subject. What triggered your decision to embark on this investigation?
Valérie Bénaïm: I'm a journalist, but I'm also a mother, and these two realities inevitably shape my perspective on the world. Sometimes they challenge it, sometimes they make me question it. Lately, my work has led me to comment on, interpret, and analyze several news stories involving children. From there, a question arose: are these tragedies, however terrible, isolated incidents, or do they reveal a deeper problem? I also wondered if these disappearances were actually increasing, or if it was simply our collective focus that was paying more attention to them. It was from these questions that I began my work.

In the book, you present a striking statistic: a child is reported missing every 13 minutes in France. Why do you believe this phenomenon remains largely underestimated?
First, we need to clarify what this figure encompasses. When I mention 38,477 missing minors reported to the police, it doesn't mean that these are 38,477 different children. The same minor can be reported multiple times. Readers should be reassured on this point. But even with this clarification, the number remains considerable. It is far too high, because we are talking about minors, and therefore there is a real societal issue behind these statistics. If this phenomenon remains underestimated, it is largely because 95% of these reports concern runaways. In the collective unconscious, we often think that a runaway is related to a family issue, that it's not necessarily everyone's problem, and that the child will eventually return. However, this is a mistake. Of course, a majority of these young people reappear, often within a few weeks or months, but that doesn't mean the danger is gone. Running away never eliminates risk. A teenager who leaves home can find themselves in a highly vulnerable situation, fall in with the wrong people, be exposed to violence or exploitation, or simply put themselves in danger. Nor should we reduce the issue of missing minors to runaways alone. There are also parental abductions, which saw a sharp increase between 2022 and 2023, even though the trend stabilized in 2024. And then there are what are called worrying disappearances, excluding runaways and parental abductions. These represent 1,373 cases in 2024, or 3,6% of the total. This category includes both possible accidents and suspicious disappearances, meaning situations in which foul play can be considered. When we look at the details, we understand that these figures, with their multiple layers of interpretation, reveal a great deal about our society.

Sometimes we get the feeling that running away has become commonplace. Is that your observation, particularly among teenagers?
I would say that there is indeed a kind of trivialization, but it needs to be understood with nuance. In the adolescent mind, nothing is ever truly serious. Adolescence, by its very nature, is carefree, the feeling that anything is possible, that you can live life at breakneck speed without imagining the worst. There's a kind of recklessness that's part of this stage of life. But it would be very dangerous to have a romanticized view of running away. Running away isn't simply an act of freedom or a passing crisis. It says something else. It can reveal a deep-seated unease, sometimes within the family. It also raises questions for institutions, particularly when it involves minors running away from a foster home or center. In this case, it directly raises the issue of child welfare and how certain young people are cared for. What struck me is that running away occurs across all social classes. It doesn't only affect families in dire straits. It also affects affluent backgrounds. There is a kind of universality to adolescent malaise, even if its causes are varied.

During your investigation, you met families. What struck you most on a human level?
It was the parents, above all, who touched me deeply. What moved me most about them was their ability to carry on despite the unbearable. I rarely use the word "resilience" because it has been used so much, sometimes wrongly, but here it takes on its full meaning. I saw parents who continue to put one foot in front of the other, day after day, month after month, year after year. They get up, they go to work, they prepare meals for their other children, they hold on for their siblings, for their loved ones, and also, to some extent, for themselves. I was struck by their dignity, their grace, their strength. These are people who have undoubtedly endured the worst possible thing: the loss of a child, this wrenching separation that leaves a life torn in two. Part of them is devastated, and yet another part must keep moving forward. Some manage to turn their lives around again, sometimes even rebuilding a family, while others remain more mired in grief, but even in this state, they maintain an impressive integrity and strength. These parents have profoundly touched me.

From the professionals' perspective, did you feel a sense of helplessness in the face of the scale of the subject?
There is, of course, the question of resources. No one is going to claim that the police or the justice system have everything they need. This lack of resources is a reality. But it would be unfair to focus solely on that. I met extremely dedicated men and women, whether at the Paris Juvenile Brigade, the Central Office for the Repression of Violence Against Persons, or Interpol. They possess a fierce determination, a very impressive tenacity. On the justice system's side, there has also been progress. I'm thinking in particular of the creation, three years ago, of the Unit for Serial or Unsolved Crimes. This is a major development, because this unit can take over old cases, cold casesThis requires time, resources, and a methodology that the ordinary justice system doesn't always have access to. In traditional courts, judges are overwhelmed with cases. The idea here is precisely to be able to return to the scene, restart expert analyses, repeat DNA tests, and pick up the threads of cases that were thought to be closed. This is essential.

You also seem to emphasize scientific and technological advances. How do they change the situation?
They change a great many things, and this is an aspect that the general public is still largely unaware of. I met with experts, particularly at the IRCGN (National Gendarmerie Criminal Research Institute), who showed me just how much the techniques are progressing. This doesn't mean that all old cases will be solved—that would be wishful thinking—but it does give us hope that future cases can be solved more quickly, and that some old cases can be reopened with new tools. There is, for example, all the discussion surrounding genetic genealogy, already used in some countries like the United States. The principle involves comparing DNA found at a crime scene to genealogical databases to trace kinship back to a potential suspect. In France, this isn't currently authorized as such, particularly with regard to the legal framework of the FNAEG (National Automated Genetic Fingerprint File), but the debate exists and will likely grow in importance. There are also newer and more publicly accessible systems. The Ministry of the Interior, for example, has launched a website called Evidence investigationswhich allows citizens to view certain appeals for witnesses related to unsolved cases. It includes videos, short interviews with investigators or magistrates, and sometimes information previously unseen by the general public. The idea is simple: someone, somewhere, may have information that could change the course of a case. Interpol is also developing some interesting tools. I'm thinking in particular of Identify MeA public campaign is underway focusing on women found dead in several European countries, including France, whose identities remain unknown. The public can view facial reconstructions, descriptions of clothing, jewelry, and tattoos. Here again, the goal is to evoke recognition, a memory, a turning point. Interpol also has traditional DNA databases, as well as a system like IFAMILIA, launched a few years ago, which allows for the comparison of DNA from biological relatives with that of unidentified bodies to work through kinship ties. All of this opens up new possibilities.

You also mention artificial intelligence. Can it really help investigators?
Yes, to a certain extent. This isn't to say that AI will replace investigators, of course not. Investigations, in their most nuanced, human, and intuitive aspects, will always remain a human endeavor. However, AI can save considerable time on repetitive, tedious, and time-consuming tasks. Where an investigator might spend weeks sorting, cross-referencing, or organizing a mass of information, an automated system can do it in a few days. This allows professionals to dedicate more time to what only they can do: interviews, human analysis, sensitive cross-checking, and a deep understanding of a case. It's in this sense that I say we're moving in the right direction, even if everything isn't resolved yet.

So, what are the main weaknesses?
There are still gaps in the system, very clearly. One of the sensitive points is the reception at the police station or gendarmerie when a missing person report is filed. The official policy is clear: every missing minor must be taken seriously, all information must be recorded, the minor must be registered in the missing persons database, and the situation must be forwarded to the public prosecutor, who will assess whether or not the disappearance is concerning. But in practice, the human factor is present. And there can be biases, especially in this gray area of ​​15- to 17-year-olds. When a teenager has already run away several times, it can happen that, in the initial exchange, the police officer or gendarme downplays the situation more than they should. You might hear things that should never be said, like "come back later" or "it's probably just another runaway." But even one more runaway can be one too many. It might be at this point that the young person encounters an aggressor, falls into a criminal network, or simply puts themselves in grave danger. The first few hours aren't always irreversible, but they are crucial, and a delay in taking action can have very serious consequences.

In your book, you also emphasize the responsibility of the media. Do you find their coverage insufficient or misguided?
I wouldn't necessarily say it's insufficient, but it's complex and deeply ambivalent. Families need the media; that's a fact. I tell parents: publicize your case. It's an additional lever. We need people to talk about them, about their child, about their disappearance. Media coverage puts the case in the spotlight, and therefore also exerts a form of pressure on investigators, on the justice system, on the entire institutional chain. But at the same time, this media attention is experienced as an extremely painful intrusion. Families don't necessarily want their privacy invaded, their lives dissected, or for public opinion to start judging how they raised or cared for their child. That's why their relationship with the media is so ambivalent: they crave it as much as they fear it. When you talk to police officers or judges, you also understand that they themselves have taken this into account. Some regret the weakening of confidentiality during investigations, but many acknowledge that it's a necessary step. Several magistrates even advise families, when they feel they aren't being heard, to contact the press. This says something about our times: the media has now become fully integrated into the dynamics of investigations.

According to my information, you are preparing a new book. What can you tell us about it?
You're very well-informed, Aimé (laughs). Yes, indeed, I'm working on a new book. It will be a continuation of what I'm passionate about today, focusing on police and justice issues. It's something that goes back to my early days as a journalist, when I was already covering cases in the Assize Court. These are subjects that go far beyond simple news items. They tell us something about ourselves, about our society, our flaws, and our fears too. It's this dimension that particularly interests me: understanding what these cases reveal about us collectively. My next book will follow this line of thought, with a subject that I think will resonate with many people. A subject that everyone can relate to, especially as a parent. I can't say much more for now, but it, too, will be deeply rooted in reality.

One last word ?
Yes: behind the numbers, there are lives, families, and children. That's what we must never forget. We're not just talking about statistics or procedures, but about vulnerable beings whom a society has an absolute duty to protect.