A 15-year-old girl from Vailele village went missing last Friday and the Police have appealed to the public for information on her whereabouts.

The disappearance of Maryanne Loia from her home in Vailele makes it the eighth case of missing children reported by the Police over the last four months since December last year. 

The Ministry of Police Prisons and Corrections Services posted on its official Facebook page at 3.53 pm on Monday seeking information from the public and included an image of the teenager. 

"Samoa Police, Prisons & Corrections Services appeals to the public for assistance in locating Maryanne Loia, female, 15 years of age, from the village of Vailele," the social media post reads.

"Maryanne has been missing from her home since Friday 10th of March, 2023. The young girl left home with one of her friends at noon and has not returned since."

Last week the Samoa Observer quoted the Police Commissioner, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo making reference to a "new trend" linked to the increasing cases of missing children reported to the Police.

He said the Police have linked cases of children being disciplined at home and them later going missing.

"There is a new trend with children these days. It seems when they are being told off by their parents, they just leave their homes and don't want to go back," Auapa'au said. 

"When the parents notice that a child hasn't returned and it is late in the evening, they would call the police to help them find their kids."

He also added the increasing incidences of missing children have added to the Ministry's responsibilities, but he emphasised that there is nothing they can do to avoid it.

To address the issue going forward, he said the Police now round up children they see wandering the streets and take them to the station for a lecture before they are dropped off at home.