Met Police were today continuing to search for missing west London student Richard Okorogheye as his family criticised the force’s initial response.
The Oxford Brookes business and IT undergraduate, 19, hasn’t been seen since he vanished in Ladbroke Grove on March 22.
His mother Evidence Joel said her son, who had been shielding during the pandemic due to having sickle cell disease, had struggled with his online studies.
Richard left home at about 8.30pm saying he was going to meet a friend but left his wallet, jacket and medication behind. His mobile is switched off.
Miss Joel said when she phoned police to report Richard missing, she was told they did not have the resources to check CCTV near their home.
The nurse claimed: “[An officer] said: ‘If you can’t find your son, how do you expect police officers to find your son for you?’”
Miss Joel said she feared Richard had been groomed online by someone holding him against his will.
She described Richard as her reason for living, adding: “It’s my baby, he’s my treasure, he’s my oxygen.”
The Met said Richard’s disappearance was initially graded low-risk because of the many missing person reports it receives every day, often involving young people.
A spokesman said the force was “committed to providing the best possible service to families”, ensuring that they are supported by specialist officers and informed of investigative updates as soon as possible.
He added: “Family members should always be treated with respect and dignity by officers, and have confidence that officers will make every effort to investigate the circumstances of the disappearance with a matter of urgency.
“The investigation into the disappearance of Richard Okorogheye remains ongoing. His family are being supported by a dedicated family liaison officer while all available resources are being utilised in the search.”
