Alexander Sloley has been missing for 17 years and his family is desperate to find him.

In a case that has puzzled authorities and left a family in agony for nearly two decades, the mysterious disappearance of Alexander Sloley continues to prompt fresh appeals for information. The Metropolitan Police have renewed their efforts by offering a £10,000 reward for any clues that could lead to uncovering what happened to Alexander, who vanished without a trace at the age of 16. The missing person investigation, which remains active and under regular review, reveals an alarming reality about the frequent cases of missing persons in the UK. With a reported case every 90 seconds, the plight of families like Alexander's resonates across the nation. Despite the efforts mounted since 2008, Alexander's whereabouts remain unknown, casting a shadow on the lives of those who knew him. Alexander, an accountancy student described as a light-skinned black male with striking blue eyes, left no indication that he intended to run away. With no money, passport, or belongings, and no activity recorded on his phone or bank accounts, the situation is as enigmatic as it is tragic. Authorities have exhausted numerous avenues, including the 2009 publicity campaign that saw Alexander's case featured prominently on milk cartons, a strategy now well-known in the quest to solve cold cases. However, every lead so far has hit a dead end, with Detective Constable Tom Boon expressing hope that Alexander may yet be alive, having somehow stayed off the digital grid. Reflecting on systemic challenges, the charity Missing People highlighted that missing black children like Alexander are statistically less likely to be found compared to their white or Asian counterparts. This troubling insight calls for a deeper examination into policing practices and a push for equity in attention and resources allocated to missing person cases. From the emotional plea of Detective Chief Inspector Sarb Kaur to the restless longing of Alexander's mother, Nerissa Tivy, the personal cost of human disappearance reverberates with an urgency that demands new eyes, new leads, and a unified community effort to break the silence that has shrouded Alexander's case for far too long.