A Canberra mother has fought back tears while making an emotional plea to her missing son, who disappeared nearly a year ago.
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Jean Vincent Policarpio, known as Vince, left the family home in Bonner about 9.30pm on September 26 last year without his wallet, phone and keys, and never came back.
Beth Policarpio spoke directly to her son during a press conference on Monday as part of National Missing Persons Week, pleading with him to get in touch.
"Vince, if you’re hearing this message, we want nothing more than to see you return home," Mrs Policarpio said, flanked by Vince's father Will, brother Francis and sister Vanessa.
"There is not a day that we don’t think of you.
"If you decide to stay out there, at least let us know that you are safe and well."
Details surrounding the disappearance of Mr Policarpio, who would now be 22, are scarce.
His family doesn't know what he was wearing when he vanished, or where he was going.
Mr Policarpio was known to visit the Golden Sun Moth Walking Trail in Mulligans Flat and Chicken Gourmet in Bonner, and did not drive.
An extensive search in nearby bush areas and local lakes and ponds found no trace of him.
He is described as Filipino in appearance, 165 centimetres tall and of slight build, with olive skin, brown eyes and black hair.
Detective Superintendent Jamey Bellicanta said there were currently 14 cases open in the ACT where people had been missing for more than three months.
Superintendent Bellicanta said Mr Policarpio was the only one of the 652 people reported missing in the ACT last year who had not been found.
"Although the statistics, one would think, are strong in regards to someone returning, statistics sadly don’t provide any comfort for the loved ones [and] friends of someone who is missing," he said.
As of August 3, there have already been 427 missing persons reports made in the territory this year.
While most missing people were usually found within a week, Superintendent Bellicanta said any open missing persons case remained a priority for police, no matter how long it had been.
He said there was no set timeframe that people needed to wait before reporting a loved one missing, urging anyone who thought something was wrong to contact police and provide as much information as possible.
"Be honest to your feelings," Superintendent Bellicanta said.
"If you think something’s not right and somebody should be home, then certainly report that to police as soon as possible."
Anyone with information on Mr Policarpio's whereabouts is urged to visit their local police station, call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or ACT Policing Operations on 131 444.
LONG-TERM MISSING PERSONS LAST SEEN IN THE ACT
Of the 14 long-term missing persons cases open in the ACT, nine are listed on the Australian Federal Police missing persons register. They are:
- Kate Alexander: Last seen in Yarralumla in March 1974. She would now be 106.
- Wendy Dalla: Last seen in Cook in September 1975. She would now be 73.
- Elizabeth Herfort: Last seen at the Australian National University bar in June 1980. She would now be 57.
- Megan Mulquiney: Last seen in Woden in July 1984. She would now be 51.
- Amelia Hausia: Last seen in Downer in December 1992. She would now be 44.
- David Abuoi: Last seen in Civic in July 2012. He would now be 41.
- Anthony Fahey: Last seen in Belconnen in July 2013. He would now be 34.
- Robert Jacob: Last seen in the Civic area in November 2015. He would now be 58.
- Jean Policarpio: Last seen in Bonner in September 2017. He would now be 22.
