Systemic Failures and Prejudices Hampered Search for Missing Teen Agostina Vega

The discovery of Agostina Vega's body marked the end of a search marred by systemic failures, highlighting recurring issues in missing person investigations, particularly for women. During the 156 hours Agostina, a 14-year-old, was missing, the investigation deviated from national and international protocols. The Federal System for Searching for Missing and Extracted Persons (Sifebu) protocol mandates immediate reporting and investigation, especially for minors, recognizing them as a high-risk factor. Furthermore, protocols for searching for women and LGBTIQ+ individuals, developed by Ufem and Protex, recommend incorporating a gender perspective from the outset to identify potential femicide scenarios. However, these steps were not taken in Agostina's case. When questioned about the delays, the prosecutor in charge, Raúl Garzón, suggested that a disappearance where a minor is believed to have left with a friend is treated differently than a child abduction. Experts point to several errors in the investigation, suggesting a lack of familiarity with protocols by security forces and the persistence of societal prejudices. Agostina's mother reported her daughter missing on May 24th at 4 a.m., but she was not attended to for four hours. Specialists emphasize that the initial hours are critical in disappearance cases, yet this delay is common, especially when women are involved. Anthropologist Celeste Perosino stated this indicates that the disappearance of girls and women is still considered a minor issue by many in the security system, failing to trigger an urgent state response.

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The path of the investigation is determined by the path of the report, and if in a report, initially, the disappearance is more oriented towards someone going with a person or a friend or a friend of their trust or relationship, it's a very different thing than saying 'my child was taken'.