International Missing Children’s Day: 28 years of missing Gordana
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On November 24, 1994, 16-year-old Gordana Kotevski was abducted from the driveway of her aunt’s house in suburban Newcastle.
In the almost 28 years since, her family has worked tirelessly to share details of that evening—that Gordana’s aunt Sonya, who was inside, heard a scream and a muffled male voice before seeing a light-coloured four-wheel-drive vehicle drive away in the direction of the Pacific Highway. That they found a torn plastic shopping bag on the grass verge outside a short time later, alongside Gordana’s purse and items she had purchased at the shopping centre.
But these aren’t the only things Gordana’s family want people to remember.
“I wish people knew just how loving Gordana was as a beloved member of our family,” says Gordana’s aunt Julie Talevski. “As a child, she was always cuddling up to those she loved, sitting on their laps, and fussing about with the little ones in the family.”
“As a teen she just adored her friends, especially her best friend Belinda—two peas in a pod. Her love of life, dancing, family and friends will never be forgotten. A delightful child with a beautiful soul.”
Gordana (middle) at her 16th birthday.
It’s these tender memories that Julie and her family hold close as they mark International Missing Children’s Day today. For the Kotevski family, it’s a day of high emotion. Sharing their story brings new pain each time, but the chance to spread further awareness of Gordana’s abduction will never be turned down.
“We were invited by the Australian Federal Police National Missing Persons Coordination Centre to participate in a dedication to children missing all around the world at the National Arboretum in Canberra, with Gordana as the face of the 2022 campaign,” explains Julie.
“The invitation was accepted without hesitation. Sharing Gordana’s story on a national, and in this case international level, provides further exposure to the public. It invites community conversation and hopefully one day it will convince those that know what happened to her to finally speak the truth.”
For Acting Team Leader Emily Hall of the Australian Federal Police, International Missing Children’s Day—which is commemorated globally—is an important opportunity to “continue efforts to find those who are still missing”.
“There are over 1 million missing children around the world and they deserve to be found, so we join as a global community to raise awareness of the prevalence of missing children in hope that we can bring them home or at the very least, provide answers for their families left behind,” she says. “This International Missing Children’s Day we implore the Australian community to hear and share the stories of the profiled missing children and their families.”
“In 2021, over 34,000 missing persons’ reports in Australia related to children under 18. While we’re fortunate in Australia that most are found safe and well within 24 hours, the nightmare continues for a number of families each year who live with the ambiguous loss and heartache of a missing child.”
To assist ongoing investigations, the NSW Government and the NSW Police Force announced today that the reward for information about Gordana’s disappearance has now been increased to $1 million.
While hope is always alive in the Kotevski family, it doesn’t make the nightmare any easier.
“Contrary to the saying “things will get better with time” that is not the case when a child is missing,” says Julie. “The pain is never-ending.”
“For Gordana’s parents, siblings and close family members there are reminders around us every day that she is not here. At milestones events like birthdays, weddings, new nieces and nephews arriving in the world, she is not here. She had her whole life ahead of her and it was taken away in an instant.”
Gordana in the 1980s.
However, Julie says gestures like the tree dedication at the National Arboretum allow families like theirs to feel seen and heard.
“Hope is all we have. The dedication to missing children at the Canberra Arboretum tree means that families like ours will know that there is a special place in our beautiful country that is dedicated to these precious children.”
“It is a place of remembrance, contemplation and quiet prayer. Families will be made aware that visiting the tree, which will no doubt outlive many of us, is possible anytime throughout the year.”
For anyone who thinks they may know something about any missing person’s disappearance, including Gordana’s, Emily Hall urges them to act.
“We encourage anyone with information about any missing person’s disappearance, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Any information, no matter how small, could help assist police with their investigation and provide answers for families.”
Feature image: Gordana and her friend Bel.
