The government and cantons have given the green light to an abduction alert system for minors to be introduced by the end of the year.

Public pressure for such a system has been mounting following a series of abductions and murders, including that of six-year-old Ylenia in 2007, and most recently of a teenage girl from Fribourg.

Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf and cantonal police directors agreed at a meeting on Thursday to draw up a convention by the end of this year. The idea is that the separate cantonal police forces would work together with the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation – swissinfo's parent company – to raise the alarm when a minor is abducted.

For its part, parliament has also been discussing the introduction of an alert system, such as exists in other European countries, including France. The Senate voted last month to press the government to introduce a nationwide alert system. The bigger chamber - the House of Representatives – has still to vote on the issue.

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