Interpol searches for 57 missing Finns, including eight children from vanished Karf family

Finnish police have issued a global alert through Interpol for 57 missing Finnish nationals, including eight children from the Karf family who disappeared from Ostrobothnia two years ago, Yle reports.

The children, part of a large family that vanished in May 2024, are now subject to an Interpol Yellow Notice—a worldwide missing persons alert that may include physical descriptions, photographs, and possible aliases or travel routes. Detective Chief Inspector Tony Rauma of the Ostrobothnia Police confirmed to Yle that the necessary international notifications have been filed.

Police suspect the family is being sheltered by a network of supporters, either in Finland or abroad. While active search efforts have paused, authorities continue to monitor leads. “The investigation remains open, and we will disclose further details only when necessary,” Rauma stated.

The case stems from a prolonged dispute over the family’s homeschooling practices, which preceded their disappearance. In 2025, a district court issued arrest warrants for the parents in absentia after they failed to comply with legal obligations. Their lawyer, Robert Slotte, previously suggested to Yle that the family might be living abroad, though he claims no knowledge of their exact whereabouts. “They’re at home—just not where the authorities can find them,” Slotte told Yle this week, dismissing the search as a “circus” driven by bureaucratic overreach.

Interpol’s Yellow Notice system currently lists 57 missing Finns, alongside 20 Red Notices for Finnish nationals wanted for crimes. Globally, the organisation tracks over 11,000 missing persons, predominantly children, through the Yellow Notice database. While most alerts remain restricted to law enforcement, public listings can aid identification. “If Swedish police ran a routine traffic check, the system would flag a match,” explained Jaakko Christensen, head of the National Bureau of Investigation’s intelligence unit, which oversees Finland’s Interpol cooperation.

Finnish authorities executed 93 extraditions in 2025 based on European or Nordic arrest warrants, underscoring the cross-border reach of such alerts. The Karf family’s case, however, remains unresolved, with police urging anyone with information to come forward.