Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Disappearance of Alice Gross


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was   keep. postdlf (talk) 22:42, 1 October 2014 (UTC)

Disappearance of Alice Gross

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Another non-notable missing person case. As I've said many times, hundreds of thousands of people go missing every year. It's sad, but common. The fact that this case is currently the big newsworthy example at the moment does not make it individually notable for an encyclopedia. Being investigated by multiple forces is not unique, and is quite common in the UK where the forces are small and local. Dmol (talk) 06:36, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Delete Classic case of missing white-woman syndrome.  Lugnuts  Dick Laurent is dead 06:59, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Keep This is internationally notable. Whilst people go missing all the time, it's rare for a case to involve several police forces across two countries. The Met is a large force. The reason so many forces are involved is that it doesn't have enough officers to deal with this case without outside help and because the prime suspect appears to have fled to Latvia. It's the Met's biggest case for over nine years; Met officers have travelled to Latvia to try to find the prime suspect. It shouldn't be deleted merely because most high-profile missing person cases are of young, white, middle-class females of good character and above-average looks. I'm aware that if the adolescent in this case were underclass and plain, or a boy, that this case would not be widely publicised; that doesn't change the fact that this case is very notable. Do you agree that some missing person cases are encyclopedia-worthy? If so, what are you saying that this case lacks, making it fall short of the notability bar? What do you think a missing person case needs in order for it to be worthy of its own article? The only way that this could be more notable is if a celebrity or public figure were involved. Jim Michael (talk) 13:56, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Was the racist comment really necessary (yes, implying that a missing person isn't notable because they're white is racist)? This has featured heavily on British national media and is a fairly unusual case given the disappearance of the main suspect and his previous murder conviction abroad. -- Necrothesp (talk) 15:03, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * I hope that wasn't aimed at me, as you're way off the mark. See missing white-woman syndrome. If it was a young black male you wouldn't have any of this coverage. WP:NOTNEWS too.  Lugnuts  Dick Laurent is dead 17:55, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Of course it was aimed at you. The fact the term exists doesn't make it non-racist or acceptable to use in discussions! And with regard to your last sentence, with respect, utter and complete rubbish. If a 14-year-old black boy had gone missing, presumed murdered, especially by a foreign national with a previous conviction for murder in his home country who had also disappeared, we would have just as much coverage. -- Necrothesp (talk) 12:55, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Agreed. It is conceited in the extreme to invoke MWWS in relation to a case in country where 87% of the population is white. Nick Cooper (talk) 09:44, 1 October 2014 (UTC)

Keep- It is notable, because there's gigantic search underway by the Metropolitan police servie (which means it will probably be notable later), they've covered the disappearance in Latvia too. Maddie Mccanns disappearance was notable after being extensively covered in two countries. You have to apply standards fairly across wikipedia articles,despite racist beliefs.Corkiebuchek (talk) 15:36, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Crime-related deletion discussions. Necrothesp (talk) 15:03, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of England-related deletion discussions. Necrothesp (talk) 15:03, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Latvia-related deletion discussions. Necrothesp (talk) 15:03, 26 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Keep - I'm on the fence with this - On one side I think We shouldn't have articles on every single person that goes missing in the world, but on the other side think this has received quite alot of media coverage in the UK and worldwide ... So on that basis I'll have to say Keep. – Davey 2010 •  (talk)  16:15, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Delete. Wikipedia is not a newspaper. Szzuk (talk) 16:41, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Keep. This story is near the top of the UK national news practically every day so I find it ludicrous that Wikipedia doesn't have much detail on it. Article needs expansion. For those who say that this is just a case of "missing white woman syndrome" (see above comments), compare this article with Disappearance of Madeleine McCann. In this case as well as that one, there are multiple news sources demonstrating notability. Kidburla (talk) 17:01, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Delete per WP:NOTNEWS. Wikipedia should should have articles about things of enduring importance, and not be a compendium of BIG NEWS STORIES from each news cycle. Encyclopedia editors have a different purpose than do those who want to drum up TV viewers by trumpetting every case where some sympathy-inducing woman or girl goes missing. In this case, it is so far just a search for a missing person. Edison (talk) 17:24, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Keep - the case has recieved extensive attention both by british and international press. Historic turn out of police investigators for this case as well. Wikipedias NOTNEWS policy is ridiculous considering that Wikipedia is based on news. This is not just a news story anyway. --BabbaQ (talk) 22:25, 26 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Keep - fairly large amount of media attention for weeks in the UK and is making record policing numbers in the UK - Wikipedia articles are composed of citations and its' information from news, it's illogical to have a NOTNEWS policy as Edison stated --Attractel (talk) 06:23, 27 September 2014 (UTC)
 * I would like to add this is now an official murder inquiry, a body was found - no formal indentification yet but it's most likely Alice Gross. --Attractel (talk) 06:49, 1 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Keep All over the news both in the UK and many other international medias. Covers GNG and CRIME.--94.234.170.95 (talk) 09:58, 27 September 2014 (UTC)

No-one here has said that Wikipedia should not have any articles about missing person cases, nor have any of the people who want this article to be deleted said what they think would make a missing person case notable. If you think this missing person case is not notable, what do you regard as a notable missing person case? Jim Michael (talk) 11:37, 27 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Events-related deletion discussions. • Gene93k (talk) 12:02, 27 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of People-related deletion discussions. • Gene93k (talk) 12:02, 27 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Keep - Seems to have surpassed the usual amount of news coverage these cases get, and probably meets WP:GNG and WP:CRIME as a result. I would advise that we err on the side of caution as regards the information we add while investigations, and any subsequent legal proceedings, are ongoing. This is Paul (talk) 20:28, 27 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Keep, as having media attention beyond the typical case, althouigh I'd like to see more sources in the article about the international coverage. Bearian (talk) 14:04, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Keep - Massive media attention here in the UK, it also resulted in an immigration row/debate. Wikipedia is littered with non-notable murder cases (thankfully, plenty of these have been deleted over the past year or so) but this clearly has above-average media attention and long-term ramifications. --Somchai Sun (talk) 09:13, 1 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Keep, widespread media coverage, and it has been acknowledged that the search operation has been the most extensive since the 7/7 bombings. Nick Cooper (talk) 09:36, 1 October 2014 (UTC)


 * KeepThe case has similarities with the Milly Dowler and Sarah Payne cases which both have wikipedia entries.It has been announced this morning, sadly, that a body has been found and that it IS a murder investigation. My heart goes out to the family and friends, It is a very significant story in the UK. All these cases are murders of young girls by strangers ( or at least that is established in the other cases) They are all clearly notable enough for articles. Neilj (talk) — Preceding undated comment added 13:17, 1 October 2014 (UTC)
 * The Milly Dowler case triggered major media regulation issues. The Sarah Payne case triggered major sex offender monintoring issues. No indication as yet that the Alice Gross case has had any such effect.--A bit iffy (talk) 15:28, 1 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Missing people can be notable if the case is long standing enough. I agree no regulatory changes will follow this case so if it disappears from the news promptly it can just go up for afd again. I can't see this closing as delete although to me this does look like sad WP:news. Szzuk (talk) 15:41, 1 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Delete Very sad, but no indication there's anything especially encyclopaedic.--A bit iffy (talk) 15:21, 1 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Have you followed this case at all? It has every indication of being just that. With widespread media coverage over many countries, immigration debate, huge police investigation (one of the biggest in UK history) etc...--BabbaQ (talk) 19:36, 1 October 2014 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.