Press conference held today over disappearance of Sheffield teenager Pamela HorvathovaÂ
The 16-year-old was last seen leaving Sheffield College's Granville Road complex with two boys on Tuesday, December 18, at about 2.05pm.Â
Despite numerous public appeals and a team of about 20 officers searching for her, Pamela is still declared missing. Detectives described her disappearance as a '˜critical incident' on Tuesday. Â
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdA press conference will be held outside the college this morning in which Superintendent Paul McCurry, who is leading the search, is expected to provide updates.Â
Angela Foulkes, chief executive and principal of Sheffield College, will also be in attendance.Â
Earlier this week, Supt McCurry called for a volunteer to reach out and help the force forge better links with the Roma-Slovak community, from which Pamela is from. Â
He said he wanted a member of the public to act as a '˜facilitator' as officers have found it '˜difficult' to communicate with members of the community.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSupt McCurry said: 'I am appealing for a community facilitator. What I want is somebody from the Roma-Slovak community that could say: '˜I would like to be involved with helping police find Pamela'.
'Pamela's family come from a very small village in Slovakia called Bystrany and do not speak any English. Can someone come forward and help us find Pamela?'
Supt McCurry said the case had been made '˜complicated' by the language difficulties and cultural traditions of the community.
CCTV footage released earlier this week showed Pamela leaving college with two boys but Supt McCurry said they had both been spoken to and did not know where she went.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSupt McCurry said she was learning English at college and added officers were continuing to examine CCTV footage of a possible sighting of Pamela at ice Sheffield on Wednesday, December 19.
Pamela was last seen wearing a dark hooded jacket and blue jeans and was wearing her hair on top of her head in a bun.Â
She was not reported missing until Christmas Eve, six days after her last confirmed sighting.Â
Officers have also held two community meetings in Darnall and Fir Vale to try and piece together her movements after she left college.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHowever, police admitted earlier this week that these meetings failed to provide any new leads.Â
Anyone who sees Pamela should call 999 immediately. To pass on other information or if you would like to volunteer as a '˜community facilitator' call police on 101, quoting incident number 941 of December 24.