Search Continues for Teen Missing 6 Months as Family Marks 17th Birthday

Wissem left the house on July 31, 2019 to go to work. And since then, no more news. A month before her disappearance, she had had an apprenticeship contract in a beauty institute. But she never showed up at the institute that morning. Yet it’s not for lack of efforts to find the young girl. Leads have emerged, without success.

Last Thursday, Wissem’s parents welcomed Sasou, their daughter’s best friend. The table was set as if Wissem was there. On the table prepared for the occasion, there was everything to soberly celebrate the 17th birthday of the young girl. An extra glass was placed as if she was present. But for the moment, this remains a dream tinged with hope that Wissem’s loved ones cherish, reports Le Parisien.

Of all the steps taken, two leads emerged towards the end of 2019. The receptionist of a hotel in Vénissieux in the suburbs of Lyon (Rhône) thinks she recognized Wissem at the reception and warns the 116 000, the number set up for missing children. The investigators think they have the teenager by watching the CCTV footage. Hope is reborn for Samira and Mahi, Wissem’s parents, until they receive screenshots that dash their hopes. The young woman mistaken for Wissem was part of a prostitution network.

An identical lead also led the girl’s parents to Seine-Saint-Denis in December. The manager of a kebab shop says he recognized Wissem among his regular customers. It is a group of teenagers who are also involved in prostitution. With the restaurateur’s agreement, the parents install a small camera in the room. For two months, they think they have the right lead. But disappointment, this lead, like the first, is just an illusion.

The parents have tried everything, even a dowsing medium, specialized in the disappearance of children, without result. Samira, the mother, has approached the association "Les disparus anonymes", set up by a father who found his daughter before the police in Epinal (Vosges). She is also considering calling in a private detective, reports Le Parisien.

"All leads are being explored," responds a source close to the case. The investigation is being followed by a referent magistrate at the juvenile prosecutor’s office, who gives very precise instructions to the police services. People with information can send an email to wisseminfos@gmail.com.