Please don't forget about Sammy Osborn.

You can read fairly full details of Sammy's story from earlier posts on this blog. (See Labels) So, I will just give a few details as a reminder.

Sammy Osborn disappeared from her home on April 3rd, 2007, after which Sammy's mum launched a campaign to find Sammy and bring her home. Gill Osborn, Sammy's mum, had a good idea where Sammy had gone, as she had previously run away to join a man she had met on the internet. The police found this man, but not Sammy: he denied having seen her. Sammy's mum and Sammy's friends launched into fund-raising for a missing person's charity and Gill did everything possible, including joining online message boards, to encourage people to think about Sammy and to look for her.

Sammy was 15 years old when she ran out of her family home. Around the time of her 16th birthday, which was September 22nd, Sammy made contact with the police and confirmed that she was safe and well. However, since her birthday fell after the start of the school year, Sammy should have been in full-time education and this should have been taken up by the local truancy officer, whom I believe actually found Sammy out shopping in Bristol. I don't know what the truancy officer did as follow-up. Social Services should have been involved as Sammy was under school-leaving age, but apparently they couldn't find her. So, they closed the case.

Sammy is known to be with a man called David Manning in Bristol. Sammy met him on the internet and this meeting led to changes in Sammy's personality, which worried her family and friends and led to her disappearance.
(See http://www.crop1.org.uk for information on sexual grooming on the internet.)

I have been informed that Sammy has not been seen officially since mid-November 2007 and that the police in Bristol are worried for her safety.

Please visit the, "CROP," web site, and if you live in or near or travel through the Fishponds Road area of Bristol, please report any sightings to the Bristol police.

Finally, the message from Sammy's mum that has not changed since Sammy disappeared.

"Sammy.......
I hope that one day you will be free to think for yourself again,
Until that day I pray that you are safe,
When that day comes we will be here for you,
Your family and friends still care for you,
And most of all,despite everything,your mum still loves you,
Take care sweetheart,
You know where we are if you need us."

Please don't forget about Sammy Osborn.

Gerry McCann, wtf are you talking about?

(Pictured right, Javian Matthews)

On day 302 since the disappearance of Madeleine, Gerry McCann makes an entry in his blog about a couple of charities involved with missing and abducted children. Gerry refers to the Missing People organisation with whose representative he says he had a meeting.

"Missing People were responsible for displaying Madeleine’s image on Marble arch, along with 2 other missing children last summer. It was heartening to hear today that one of those children was recovered as a direct result and the other has also been successfully returned to his family."

Here Gerry refers to the display of images of three children, projected onto Marble Arch in May 2007.

"Her picture featured on a huge projected poster along with two other missing children, Javian Matthews, 14, from London and Samantha Osborn, 15, from Buckinghamshire who both disappeared in April this year."

Sky News Friday June 1st 2007

Javian Matthews is reported as having been found, though I cannot find very much in the way of details about his return to his family. Ellee Seymour reports the good news about Javian on her blog. Scroll down to comments.

"Ellee says:

June 26th, 2007 at 5:21 pm

Excellent news, Javian has been found. I have had this email from Missing People:

I have just seen your latest missing case.
Javian Matthews was found on 25 May 2007.

Some websites have out of date information on them. We have noticed SKY news site has 5 cases that have now been found. http://news.sky.com/skynews/madeleine

Javian was found the day after his image was projected on Marble Arch and media coverage. I have no idea if there is a connection and if it helped reunite him with his family, I would assume it did."

Ellee Seymour June 26th 2007

So, let's return to what Gerry McCann has written in his blog.

"It was heartening to hear today that one of those children was recovered as a direct result and the other has also been successfully returned to his family."

One of those children was, "recovered," and the other was, "also," reunited with his family. My understanding of this is that the child referred to as, "recovered," was reunited with her family. I say, "her," because Gerry can only be referring to Samantha Osborn, the other female child whose image was projected onto Marble Arch.

Gerry, are you implying that this information was given to you at your meeting with a representative of the Missing People organisation? The reason I ask this is that I am quite sure that that organisation is well aware of the situation regarding Samantha and I doubt they would say she had been, "recovered," and she has definitely not been reunited with her family.

Did they really say that about Samantha, Gerry? And just what do you understand by, "recovered."? Samantha disappeared aged 15 and it was thought she had left home to meet a man she had met on the internet. Her, "recovery," if such it was, took the form of Samantha's contacting the police soon after her 16th birthday and arranging to be interviewed at the home of David Manning, the man in his 20s, whom she met on the internet. She is still, to my knowledge, living with David Manning. A few months ago, a schools truancy officer paid her a visit as she is under school-leaving age and has not been attending any place of education.

Would you still say that Samantha had been, "recovered," Gerry? And do tell us; where on earth did you get that information from? I would be surprised if Missing People were to describe Samantha as having been, "recovered." Her whereabouts discovered maybe, but she has hardly been, "recovered." And I repeat, Gerry, she has not also been reunited with her family.

For more information click on the link in the menu on the right, "Samantha Osborn."

Smokey The Rabbit Died Last Night

Now, you may wonder why I am telling you about Smokey the rabbit. He was seven years old or thereabouts and that's apparently a good life for a rabbit. Smokey was a well-loved rabbit and he was looked after with great care. Smokey belonged to a teenager called Jack, but I am told that he received most attention from Jack's sister Sammie.

The passing of Smokey the rabbit marks another milestone for the parents of Jack and Sammie. Sammie is Sammie Osborn, who left her family home in April 2007, aged just 15 years and has not returned. She is now 16 and is living in Bristol with the man she met on the internet.

While you've been gone, Sammie, your brother has become a young man. He has probably grown a few more inches in height and a few more bits of fluff on his chin, but to look at him you'd still see that brother you knew and lived with for the whole of his life until April 2007. You would recognise Jack anywhere, I am sure, because he won't have changed outwardly beyond all recognition. Inwardly, though, Sammie, your brother has done years of maturing emotionally since that day you left the home he now shares on his own with your parents. Jack has faced the kind of challenges that most young men of his age don't experience and those challenges have produced a mature young man of your kid brother.

Now, I am not telling you this to make you feel guilty. I am telling you because people's lives don't stand still. Your image of your home and your family may be frozen at April 2007, but things change and people grow and move on, especially young people. Your friends have taken their mock GCSEs and I'm sure they're going to be very busy now getting their coursework out of the way and revising for the real exams. They will all leave school in June and move on, mostly I imagine into further education, studying for their A levels and hoping to go to university. I have read some of the letters your friends sent to you and I can tell you there is still a gap where you once were. But Sammie, that gap will gradually be filled as your friends' lives change, as they meet new people in Sixth Form College and move on to other things. The experiences you should be sharing with them, they will share without you. You will not be forgotten by your friends, but the Sammie they knew will have gone forever, changed by time and circumstance as they are changed.

And now to Smokey. Another change since you were last at home. Your frozen image of your home may include a snapshot of Smokey in his hutch. Alas, Smokey died last night and I am sorry to tell you that Silky has also gone. The hutches are as empty as your bedroom. Another gap and another little bit of grief for those who love you.

I hope you are well and happy, Sammie, because if you ever decide to return to your family, I hope that you go back as a happy and more mature person who has benefited from all the experiences you have been through and that the changes in you are positive changes that you are really happy with. Nine months is a long time in a young person's life and you must have changed a great deal in that time, emotionally and physically. Sammie, please don't let the gaps grow too wide between you and your family and your friends. We only have one family, one mother, one father and you have one brother. There isn't another, ever. Please don't let them go, Sammie. Hold onto them. Please don't be in the position where you look back in a few years time and wish that the changes in your life had been changes you shared in the heart of your family.

For now, Sammie, I wish you well. Take care and whatever you do, be safe.

Anonymous Said.......

Copied from the comments section of this blog!

"Anonymous said...

Dear Anna Silvestro

I have just found your post on Samantha Osborn and I can tell you; after seeking legal advice from Google`s legal department you are in breach of data protection act and copyright; A notice of Copyright theft and data protection breach has been submitted to Google CA who will now be taking the matter forward with Police.
It is my understanding that Samantha herself has kindly requested that you remove this content about her, why have you not?? Is it because you want to make everyone know that she USE to be missing or the simply fact you are a sad loner that has nothing else to do than to put their nose into others private lives.
Wind your neck in, and respect Samantha`s wishes.
As regards Samantha`s boyfriend, her future plans what the hell has that got to do with you????????!!!!!
NOTHING.
As regards your silly little blogspot, shall I point something out that you might like to add to your blog about this case as you refuse that to remove this content, which will happen as there is now an investigation underway by Google CA and CA legal services, is that she has been found.
She is happy you fail to note, you fail to note that infact Samantha was being subject to violent abuse by her mother, serious violent abuse.
All of which is supported by medical evidence and witnesses.
Samantha is 16 years old, she can do as she pleases, make her own mind up on what she does in HER life, that is not for you to talk about on here on your sad low-life blog, your pathtic!!!!!!
But do you know what is really vile is that you have not respected Samantha`s personal request for this post to be removed, which means you dont give a single toss about her or her feelings; meaning to anyone with a brain reading this that your a sad low-life who just wants to TRY and not allow Samantha to move on from her past.
As for her parents being ashamed, yes I bet they are, for abusing a defenceless girl, why not pick on someone their own size???!!!
Maybe that poster infact is Samantha`s mother who has made mutiple false allegations against Samantha`s boyfriend and left many comments pretending to be another person.
I will end on a final note, being a friend of Samantha`s, I know that she is happier than ever and that the best thing she ever did was getting away from her vile mother who tried to murder her; with such medical evidence supporting such.
I also know one last thing, whatever you say on your silly little blog, whatever anyone says it will not break Samantha and her boyfriend up, it will not get Samantha down, Samantha is stronger than ever.
I wish you good day and happy receiving notice of legal action from Google in due course.


Roxcy

01 December 2007 05:59"

Now, Roxcy, why should Google take legal action against me for information which is available on a police web site? Do tell!

Disclaimer: please note, any allegations in the above comment by Roxcy are the sole responsibility of the poster, Roxcy, and are not the views of Anna Silvestro.

Published Information on Samantha Osborn

Someone posting comments on my Samantha Osborn posts has said that the Daily Mirror is under investigation, by whom he/she does not say. As a matter of interest, here are links to the two articles published by the Daily Mirror.

19/07/07

Vanished Without A Trace

"The police took away her computer to see if it held any clues. They discovered she'd been talking to people in the West Country, and soon all kinds of scenarios began playing over and over in my mind.

She didn't seem to have run away so we had to suppose she'd gone to meet someone - probably one of her internet friends. But that brings its own nightmares and soon we feared she was being held against her will."

6/11/07

Why won't My Little Girl Come Home?

Thames Valley Police, 26/4/07

Thames Valley Police

" It is believed that Samantha may be in the Bristol area, but she has been known to travel to Milton Keynes on occasion.

Samantha has asthma and family are worried whether she has appropriate medication, such as an inhaler, and any chemists who may have been approached by her are asked to please contact the police. Her family also do not believe she has access to money.

Detective Inspector Vince Grey from Thames Valley Police, who is leading the investigation, said: “We’ve exhausted our enquiries with her friends and contacts in Buckinghamshire and we are now extending our enquiries to other areas where she is known to have contacts – top of this list is Bristol.”

So, to the person who has posted comments, threatening to sue me for breach of copyright, whose copyright have I breached? Thames Valley Police? Or do you think the police have also breached someone's copyright?

So, as can be seen above, the Thames Valley police discovered that Samantha had been communicating with people in the West Country area, via the internet, and subsequently they made Bristol top of their list as a possible place that Samantha had gone to. So, my saying that Samantha was thought to have met someone on the internet and that she was believed to be in the Bristol area, is there a breach of copyright there? If so, whose?

Will someone please indicate where, in my initial post about Samantha Osborn, I referred to her boyfriend?

Someone thinking of threatening Thames Valley Police for breach of copyright? That should be very interesting. Perhaps they think that Thames Valley Police are, "low life," too for publishing these details?

Please note: I will remove the photo of Samantha Osborn when I have received a request from Samantha herself. To date, the email address I have requested has not been provided. So, I have no way of knowing if the person claiming to be Sammy Osborn is in fact Sammy.

I will not remove any text from this blog which is in the public domain, especially that which has been published by Thames Valley Police, unless requested to do so by the police.

Leaving School and Getting a Job

This is in response to a comment on one of my posts. Please see comments on the Samantha Osborn posts.

Now to the question of school leaving age in the UK and whether someone who is 16 years old can do exactly as they please.

When can someone officially leave school and be free to do exactly as he/she pleases? This is an abstract from Section 8(4) of the Education Act 1996.


"A new single school leaving date has been set for 1998 and all subsequent years. This is the last Friday in June in the school year in which a child reaches age 16. In 1998 the date is 26 June. Until that date:

a. Parents and guardians must ensure their child's participation in education, at school or otherwise;

b. Local education authorities (and/or the Funding Agency for Schools) must secure the provision of suitable education;

c. Employers may not employ a child full-time;

d. Training providers may not provide full-time Government sponsored training."

So, let's say that a young person reached the age of 16 on 22nd September, 2007, when could that young person leave school, get a job and do exactly as she pleases? According to the legislation quoted above, since the birthday falls within the school year, the official school leaving date for that young person would be the last Friday in June, 2008.

So, until that date in June, 2008, someone whose 16th birthday was 22nd September, 2007, would not be able to get a full-time job, and would possibly be sought by a truancy officer, if not attending school full-time.

I hope this helps the person who submitted the rather long comment to the Samantha Osborn post. if you have any further doubts, I would advise you to contact your local education department where you are living, or your local Social Services Department, who will be very pleased to assist you.

Dfes.gov.uk

Samantha Osborn Is Safe and Well and Suing Me!

Please read the comments on the previous post about Samantha Osborn. Sammy, or someone representing Sammy, has threatened legal action if I do not remove the photo AND THE BLOG! Since all the details of Sammy's being missing are in the public domain, am I breaching copyright? What copyright is there on reporting that a young person is missing? Perhaps Sammy will sue all of the newspapers who still have the story available in their search facility?

The photo of which Sammy speaks is, in fact, in the public domain.

Daily Mirror

Samantha Osborn Is Missing

I would not have heard of Samantha Osborn if I were not a regular reader of the Daily Mirror forum. Samantha is 15 years old and has been missing from her home since April 3rd this year.

Daily Mirror

"It was a Tuesday during the Easter school holidays when I heard her stomp downstairs and out of the front door at 4pm. We thought she'd just popped out to see a friend and were pleased she'd prised herself away from the computer screen.But that evening she didn't come home. I stood by the window looking out for her and even rang round her friends to ask if they'd seen her. None had"

When Samantha left home that day she had the clothes she was wearing, and a small bag containing her purse and her inhaler. Her mobile phone was left behind and her debit card has not been used. She had been spending a lot of time on the internet and said that she had been chatting with people her own age. It is thought that she may have gone to meet someone whom she had met on the internet. From what was found on Samantha's computer, it is thought that she may be in the Bristol area, but there are no confirmed sightings.

Please have a look at the web site Samantha's mother has set up and watch the YouTube video, which is linked to on the site.

Find Samantha Osborn

And just in case you'd like to go straight to the video, here is the link!

YouTube video


If you think you have seen Samantha Osborn, please contact the police. The phone number is on the, "findsamanthaosborn," site and also at the end of the video.