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Local News Summary of February, 3rd

  • Missing children of Basel: Family disputes, school problems, or a capital crime?
  • Baselworld expects 40 million francs less revenue this year

Missing children of Basel: Family disputes, school problems, or a capital crime?

The Basel police treat cases of missing children with particular urgency. In the first stage, investigators always try to find out whether there was a crime involved or not.
As for missing adults, there is a case of a 40-year-old man who was last seen in several pubs near the Kaserne but who was not seen again until several days later. Famous zoologist, Hans Ulrich Roth, went missing last Friday in Riehen and was not seen at his home in St Gallen until Monday at noon. The explanation for his disappearance was that he had not been feeling well after a dental appointment.
Last November, the Basel police reported that a young woman had gone missing – after she had not been seen for eight months. Martin Schütz, spokesman for the Basel police, said: “The media usually report about missing persons if the case is an urgent one – for example, if the person has a medical condition and needs to take a specific medicine, or if previous searches have remained unsuccessful.” The latter was the case for the missing young woman.

Family disputes or school stress

The search for missing children is a matter of even more urgency. When Silas A. vanished from Fribourg a little more than a week ago, a large squad of police officers and volunteers immediately began to search for the 13-year-old. Unfortunately, the young boy was found dead at the base of a remote rock face in the Schwarzsee region, the Fribourg police announced yesterday.
Martin Schütz explained the standard procedure for the Basel police in such incidents. “If teenagers or children go missing and a criminal background can be ruled out, the cantonal police investigators begin with an analysis of the immediate surroundings to find potential whereabouts,” he said. Determining whether there have been family disputes or whether there were problems in school also form part of this investigation.

Two people are still missing

In cases of particular urgency, investigators work together with the Basel Transport Services (BVB) and taxi drivers. Last year, there were 68 reports of missing persons in Baselland and about 100 missing persons in Basel-Stadt. A total of 44 of the 100 missing persons in Basel-Stadt were minors, 29 of them went home of their own accord, 22 were brought back by third parties, and 47 were found by police investigators. Six persons (none of them minors) were found dead, and two people remain missing, Martin Schütz said.

National kidnapping alarm

Sometimes, however, all systems fail: In 2007, five-year-old Ylenia was reported missing in the canton of Appenzell. The search for the girl continued for seven weeks and included divers, helicopters, and tracker dogs – until a helper found the girl in a forest. The kidnapper had killed the girl on the same day that she had been abducted and poisoned. In the aftermath of this tragic case, a national kidnapping alarm for children was implemented across Switzerland. The first few hours are decisive in the search for a kidnapped child. The alarm network includes media, transport services, news agencies, shopping malls, and airports. Thankfully, this kidnapping alarm has so far remained unused.

 

Baselworld expects 40 million francs less revenue this year

With only half the number of exhibitors, the Baselworld watches and jewellery exhibition has also already lost profits. Trade fairs organiser, MCH Group, is expecting a loss of around 40 million Swiss francs.
The reason for this reduced revenue is not merely due to the reduced number of exhibitors “but also because we have made adjustments in services and pricing,” MCH CEO René Kamm said in an interview with the “Finanz und Wirtschaft” newspaper on Friday, according to a preprint.
The consolidation of the watch sector continues. “In a few years, there might be only 50 Swiss watch brands left. There used to be more than 600. Likewise, the number of traders will be reduced,” Mr Kamm said.
Trade structures are changing, especially in Asia. There are online channels which are now also used by established brands, despite their initial scepticism, he said.
“Saturday Morning Physics” welcomes Claude Nicollier, the only Swiss astronaut
Gravitation and use of nanostructures for renewable energy are the main topics of this year’s “Saturday Morning Physics”. Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier will give a lecture today.
“Saturday Morning Physics” is an exciting event series for anyone interested in physics – particularly for young persons aged 14 and above as well as for university staff with children. On two Saturdays, current topics in physics are presented in a vivid manner by experienced researchers.
As a highlight, the first (and so far only) Swiss person in space, Prof. Dr Claude Nicollier, will give an enthralling lecture on gravitation on Saturday. And in one week, Basel physicist, Prof. Dr Ilaria Zardo, will talk about the use of nanostructures for a renewable energy production.