Dad of missing Andrew Gosden says "we still miss him" on 19th anniversary of teen's disappearance
The 14-year-old was last seen in 2007.
The heartbroken father of a teenager missing for nearly 20 years has issued an emotional statement on the 19th anniversary of his disappearance, saying: “We still miss Andrew all the time and have no resolution of any kind.”
Andrew Gosden, aged 14, disappeared on September 14, 2007 - and has not been seen since.
Despite a number of arrests over the years and police following up a number of leads, the case into Andrew’s disappearance remains open.
Writing in a blog to mark the 19th anniversary, dad Kevin said: “I very often write a short blog for Andrew’s birthday in July.
“This year, I found myself literally having no idea what to write.
“Not one thought. Zero.
“I admit I am having a very busy year, now refurbishing the ground floor of our modest but ageing house and put my lack of inspiration down to my head being full of matters such as electricians and mending floors.
“A little later, as I reflected on it, I realised that I would end up writing a blog about not writing a blog.
“Some of it comes down to the ongoing battles with depression and anxiety, some of it simply because nothing has changed and never seems to.
“We still miss Andrew all the time and have no resolution of any kind.
“It occurred to me that perhaps four or five times this year I have been approached by media companies about the possibility of making a new documentary style film and have felt unable to say yes because telling the story again is so painful and that after so long (19 years) I have discovered that none of it has turned up anything concrete about what happened to our son.
“Many of us have little idea how we would manage without the support of the wonderful folk at Missing People and actually all I can really think of to say is to please know that they are there. Please put their number in your kids’ phones and talk it through with them. 116 000.
“The greatest hope in our situation for so long is that others are spared this pain and should they have to endure it, they know where to turn for help and support.”
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “Our thoughts remain with Andrew Gosden's family on the 19th anniversary of his disappearance.
“We remain in regular contact with Andrew's family who continue to share updates on their story and ongoing efforts to find him.”
Andrew’s father Kevin and mother Glenys have never given up on finding Andrew, who was last seen at King’s Cross Station in London after leaving the family’s home in Balby.
In a major breakthrough in the case, in December 2021, two men were arrested in connection with Andrew's disappearance.
The pair were detained on suspicion of kidnap and human trafficking and at the time of the arrests in London, police said electronics taken from the pair, aged 39 and 46, could take "six to 12 months" to analyse.
The older man was also arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children, the force said at the time.
But they were both later released – and the case still remains open.
On the day of his disappearance, Andrew skipped school and withdrew just under £200 from his bank account before buying a one-way ticket to the capital.
He was last seen on CCTV at King's Cross Station and has not been seen since.
The teenager's motive for travelling to London on the day he was last seen has never been established.