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OfEvin Gosden remembers his son saying, “See you later, Dad.” Went to school 18 years ago As if it is this morning.
They remained the last word that Ever heard from your 14 year old Andrew, What started out like any normal day became a nightmare from which the family could never wake up.
Andrew said goodbye as he left his home in Doncaster on 14 September 2007 – but the family later said he never came to school.
Instead, it emerged the teen withdrew £200 from the cashpoint to change into jeans, a T-shirt and her favorite bag, before returning home after the rest of the family had left. He then walked to the station and caught the train to King’s Cross. After this he disappeared.
The family did not realize Andrew was missing until that evening. Alarm bells went off when he didn’t come down for dinner; Panic arose when a friend at school confirmed that Andrew had not attended at all – this was completely out of character.
Mr Gosden said, “There was nothing in her behavior that was out of the ordinary at any time prior to the evening or before her disappearance.” Independent“We thought, ‘There’s something very wrong here, we just don’t know what yet,'”
That day has haunted him ever since. “I still live in it,” he said. “That anxious feeling that just doesn’t stop – never stops. That’s why I’ve been driven by anxiety all my life. It’s terrible. It’s absolutely crippling…
“I definitely had and still have that feeling, where you’re wondering, ‘Is this actually real?’ For a long time, I used to keep a needle in my pocket to find out whether I was awake or alive or sleeping and dreaming – but it stopped working because it came into my dreams with nightmares and flashbacks. You are here, stumbling forward.”
Independent connecting with missing people To Launch a new, free, around-the-clock service This will be a lifeline for the youth in crisis. Our aim is to raise £165,000 to help the fund secure callA service for the 72,000 children reported missing each year, so they can get the support, protection and connection they need.
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Mr Gosden wholeheartedly supports this campaign, calling for secure call “Absolutely essential” and “an investment in people’s lives”. He has trusted Missing People for nearly two decades. “He’s helped me in so many ways over the years… really helped me get through some of the darkest times.”
She said Andrew’s disappearance – and the way it was handled in the early days – has left her with lasting mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression and PTSD. This caused him to have a breakdown and a near-fatal suicide attempt and ultimately forced him into early retirement.
The family immediately began a search, distributing leaflets and putting up posters in Doncaster, London and wherever Andrew might have traveled. But Mr Gosden said the initial police response was slow and disorganized – a devastating blow in the crucial first 48 hours.
He said, “Their lack of effort to find her and the pressure they put on me led me to attempt suicide, in which I almost succeeded.” “That’s why I have anxiety, depression and PTSD. At that moment, I thought, ‘I better get out of the way or they’ll never find Andrew.'”
However, he stressed that since 2018, South Yorkshire Police has handled the case well, and he accepts that low resources may have contributed to early failings.
Police have also acted swiftly in response to AI deepfake articles, images and videos falsely claiming that Andrew – or his remains – have been found. “Imagine if they started getting shared,” he said. “This would completely destroy all the efforts we have made over the last 18 years to maintain awareness that Andrew is missing.” These events have left him feeling “extremely anxious, powerless and helpless”.
The family still doesn’t know what happened to Andrew, and the uncertainty, he said, is its own suffering.
Andrew, who would now be 32, was a “deep thinker”, “incredibly bright”, self-contained, self-confident and funny. She loved rock and metal music, like the rest of her family, and was best friends with her sister Charlotte, now 34.
“Before Andrew went missing, I thought losing your child was the worst thing a parent could do – but now I realize that not even having any idea of what happened to them is even worse, because you’re completely unable to resolve it in your mind,” he said.
“People ask me whether we think Andrew is alive or dead – it depends on what day you ask me. We don’t know. All we know is that no remains have been found, and no one has contacted us with information.”
Still, he said, there are glimmers of hope — some days are brighter than others. “We try and maintain hope that we’ll figure something out.”
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Knowles, who has led the investigation in recent years, said: “I am in regular contact with the Gosden family and I am incredibly grateful for their support as we work together to answer questions that have gone unanswered for so long. We carefully consider any information received, ensuring it is recorded, cataloged and, where there are appropriate lines of enquiry, action is taken.”
Please Donate Now The Independent and Missing People’s SafeCall campaign, which aims to raise £165,000 to create a free, nationwide service to help vulnerable children find safety and support.
If you or a loved one is missing, text or call the charity Missing People on 116000 for advice, support and options. It’s free, confidential and non-judgmental. or visit www.missingpeople.org.uk/get-help
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or struggling to cope, you can speak to Samaritans in confidence on 116 123 (UK & ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit Samaria website to get details of your nearest branch. If you live in the United States, and you or someone you know needs mental health support right now, call or text 988, or go to 988lifeline.org To access online chat from 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country then you can go www.befrienders.org To find a helpline near you.