How soon can a child be reported missing?

Children can be reported missing in 24 hours. The time limit for reporting missing persons is generally 24 hours. If it is a child under the age of ten or two, or a person suffering from mental illness or mental retardation, there is no time limit, and the guardian of the missing child can report the case to the local public security organ in time.

When a family member of a missing child reports a case, the police need to file a case immediately under any of the following circumstances. After examination, the public security organ shall immediately file a criminal case and promptly carry out investigation:

1. Having received a report, complaint or report of abducting and selling women and children;

2. Received reports of missing children or missing women aged over 14 and under 18;

3. It is reported that a woman aged 18 is missing and may be trafficked;

4. It is found that vagrants and beggars may be trafficked;

5, found to have bought abducted women and children, should be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law;

6. Other circumstances that indicate that the crime of abducting and selling women and children may occur.

Legal basis: Article 240th of the Criminal Law of People's Republic of China (PRC).

Crime of abducting and selling women and children Whoever abducts and sells women and children shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years and shall also be fined; Under any of the following circumstances, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years or life imprisonment, and shall also be fined or confiscated; If the circumstances are especially serious, he shall be sentenced to death and his property shall be confiscated:

(1) The ringleader of a group that abducts and sells women and children;

(2) Abducting and selling more than three women and children;

(3) raping a trafficked woman;

(4) luring or forcing trafficked women to engage in prostitution or selling trafficked women to others for forced prostitution;

(5) Kidnapping women and children by violence, coercion or anesthesia for the purpose of selling;

(6) Stealing infants and young children for the purpose of selling;

(7) Causing serious injury, death or other serious consequences to abducted women, children or their relatives;

(8) Trafficking women and children abroad.

Abduction and trafficking in women and children refers to one of the acts of abducting, kidnapping, buying, selling, picking up and transferring women and children for the purpose of selling.