Homicide / Murder Abroad

Missing Abroad doesn’t only deal with missing persons cases. In fact, a large amount of our work revolves around supporting families with a loved one who has been murdered or died abroad.

We are proud to be a Commissioned Service Provider for the Ministry of Justice’s National Homicide Service – set up to ensure that homicide victim families receive the best possible, joined-up support at an incredibly difficult time. Victim Support manage this service and provide us valuable funding to carry out this work.

Hearing that a loved one has been taken from you is horrific for any family but this can be compounded by the difficulties faced if this happens in a foreign country. Language barriers, foreign legal systems, repatriation of remains and sorting affairs add even greater difficulty for a family to cope with. Trials for example, are often long and drawn out processes in other countries – sometimes lasting years - and families can need continued help and guidance throughout this time.

At Missing Abroad, we aim to give a family all the practical support they could need with everything from organising travel to translating legal documents; liaising with coroners to submitting evidence to trials; dealing with authorities and arranging repatriation.

Over the last 6 years Missing Abroad has built (and continues to build) relationships with a number of airlines, international funeral directors, translators, forensics experts and counsellors as well as working partnerships with organisations such as Victim Support.

These relationships as well as our continuing close partnerships with The Uk Foreign and Commonwealth Office and their consular staff around the world, police forces and other organisations within the National Homicide Service, ensure a comprehensive and complete supportive service for families.

Nobody can take away the pain and grief resulting from the loss of a loved one, but Missing Abroad’s aim is to ease the journey in some way.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office launched a Memorandum of Understanding in 2012 - an agreement between them, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Coroners Society which lays down minimum standards and what the bereaved can expect from these authorities. To find out more and download a copy click here.

What to Do…if a loved one has become a victim of homicide
abroad…

Normally this would happen automatically but you need to ensure that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office are aware of the murder. You can ask your police force to record it with them or report it yourself on 0207 008 1500. We can help you with this process.

The FCO will refer the case to the National Homicide Service and we work with them to provide the best possible support for you and your family at this tragic time.