Disappearance cases in the Dominican Republic are alarming: 1,425 reports in the last seven years. 37% of people reported missing have not been located.

The parents of Sudiksha Konanki, the 20-year-old woman reported missing in Punta Cana, have formally requested that the Dominican National Police declare their daughter’s death legally.

Konanki, 20, disappeared early March 6 on spring break with friends in the Dominican Republic. More than 10 days of relentless searching were not enough to find the body of the young University of Pittsburgh student. 

The case of the young American of Indian origin has brought to light a long-standing problem in the Dominican Republic: the one of the many missing persons. Even if Punta Cana remains a safe destination, the number of people who have disappeared in the Dominican Republic in recent years is alarming.

More than 1,400 people have been reported missing in the Dominican Republic between 2018 and 2024, according to data from the Attorney General’s Office’s transparency portal. 

The first assessment covered the years from 2017 to 2022, revealing that 1,183 missing persons were reported to the National Police, of which 740 were located, corresponding to 63%, and 443 remain missing, or 37%.

A survey conducted in 2023 established that 242 missing persons were reported to the National Police that year, which, combined with the 1,183 from 2017-2022, totals 1,425.

The situation doesn’t seem to be sensitizing official authorities. Legislators aren’t motivated to promote initiatives that contribute to addressing this situation.

There are no state agencies that provide rapid responses that would at least bring comfort to these families. In short, the phenomenon of missing persons doesn’t appear to be on the agenda for future solutions.

The affected families only appeal to time and the miracles that their loved ones will one day cross the threshold of their home or that a phone call will transform their suffering into joy. Meanwhile, the media and social media continue to publish reports of someone missing, of any age or anywhere.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader denied this Monday that the number of missing persons in the Dominican Republic has increased and affirmed that statistics support his position.

The president made these comments during “La Semanal con la Prensa” when a journalist questioned him about the constant reports of missing persons in the media and on social media.

“There hasn’t been an increase; you can look up the statistics. Unfortunately, this has been an issue for a long time. It is being monitored. We would like to be able to monitor it more closely. These are difficult cases, and the reasons for the disappearances are diverse. I remember that we divided the department and gave it more resources,” the president said.

The increase in disappearances underscores the need to strengthen investigations, improve reporting mechanisms and strengthen citizen security to prevent more families from going through this painful process.

Source: Diario Libre