A 16-year-old girl has been missing for more than a week in Portsmouth, Virginia, and growing frustration surrounds the lack of national attention.
Mirakle Elainea Smith vanished on August 13, 2025, yet there has been no Amber Alert, no widespread media coverage, and no visible urgency from authorities. Officials have warned that her physical safety is in danger, raising alarm among advocates who say her case underscores systemic failures in how missing Black children are treated in America.
Smith was last seen in Portsmouth, though law enforcement has released few details about the circumstances of her disappearance, including who she may have been with or whether surveillance footage exists. Her family and community members are now pleading for answers, fearing that valuable time has already been lost.
The lack of a high-profile response has sparked outrage online, where many are asking:
- Why has there been no Amber Alert?
- Why has law enforcement provided so little information?
- Why do missing cases involving young Black girls receive significantly less coverage than others?
Advocates stress that every hour counts in cases of missing children. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), public awareness campaigns and rapid media alerts can play a critical role in recovering at-risk youth.
“This is someone’s child. A daughter. A friend. A life,” one community advocate posted. “She deserves a search, not silence.”
How to Help
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Portsmouth Police Department at (804) 748-1251 or the NCMEC hotline at 1-800-843-5678. An official missing person poster has been circulated to aid the search.
As days pass without major updates, community members insist on one thing: Mirakle’s story must not fade into the background.
