UK UK - Andrew Gosden, 14, Doncaster, South Yorks, 14 Sept 2007

[shadowdancer]

I always subscribe to the theory that the simplest explanation is the one most likely to be true.

I think Andrew went to London because he was being bullied by other kids at his school and he couldn't take it anymore. The timing of his disappearance supports this too - the new school year had just started and he would have had to face the bullies again after a summer without them. He didn't take the bus home from school in the days leading up to his disappearance, possibly because the bullies were on the bus.. A former classmate of Andrew's has said on another site that bullying was commonplace on the bus home from school.

He had been to London many times before, so had some degree of familiarity with it. Also, kids from Andrew's part of the country always seem to revere London (probably because this part of the country is not particularly exciting!).

I think he decided to get away from Doncaster and his school and go to London. Maybe he intended to go to his relative's house and ask to live there with them. He didn't call in advance because he didn't want them to alert his parents to his plan.

As to why he disappeared - there are various possibilities, the most obvious of which is that he crossed paths with somebody who did him harm before he got to his final destination at his relative's house.

 

[Farley]

I always subscribe to the theory that the simplest explanation is the one most likely to be true.

I think Andrew went to London because he was being bullied by other kids at his school and he couldn't take it anymore. The timing of his disappearance supports this too - the new school year had just started and he would have had to face the bullies again after a summer without them. He didn't take the bus home from school in the days leading up to his disappearance, possibly because the bullies were on the bus.. A former classmate of Andrew's has said on another site that bullying was commonplace on the bus home from school.

He had been to London many times before, so had some degree of familiarity with it. Also, kids from Andrew's part of the country always seem to revere London (probably because this part of the country is not particularly exciting!).

I think he decided to get away from Doncaster and his school and go to London. Maybe he intended to go to his relative's house and ask to live there with them. He didn't call in advance because he didn't want them to alert his parents to his plan.

As to why he disappeared - there are various possibilities, the most obvious of which is that he crossed paths with somebody who did him harm before he got to his final destination at his relative's house.

The thing I struggle with with that theory is he didn't mention it at all to his parents. Or his sister, whom he was apparently very close to. If he didn't want to tell his parents or sister then he would have told friends. Now maybe at the time they wouldn't have told his parents because kids are kids. But those kids who were his friends are now 24 year old adults who will realise that it could be vital information. They would surely have by now told Andrew's parents or the police that he was being bullied very badly and planned to run away. Even if he didn't tell them he planned to run off. They would have known he was being bullied badly enough for it to be an issue.

He was being bullied and it effected him so badly he decided to up and run off to London. But never once mentioned it to his parents or his sister or his friends?

He is/was by all accounts a very thoughtful child. I don't think given what we know about Andrew from his family that he would knowingly do that to them. He wasn't stupid. What would running of to family in London achieve? Not much. His parents would just come pick him up and take him home. If he just wanted to not go to school why not just play truant?

I'm not saying i don't believe he was bullied, all kids are bullied to some extent. I'm just saying I don't think if he was running of to London would have been the thing he thought to do first had it gotten so bad he felt the need to avoid school entirely.

The chances of him meeting foul play from a stranger whilst on the way to see family are also infinitesimally small. You're more likely to die of flue than you are likely to be killed by a stranger.

 

[Farley]

So if Andrew wasn't talking to anybody online, and was not using the house phone then who ever he was talking to must have been someone local. Someone he was able to meet up with in person? It was reported that Andrew did not get the school bus back home for a couple of days before he went missing, and it is understood that Andrew didn't have much in the way of friends, so who would he know who he could trust? A teacher? Surely all teachers were spoken to? but as you pointed out South Yorkshire police handled this case so badly, so who knows?
Sadly i think the only way this case is going to reach some sort of conclusion is when someone finally comes forward with information. Hopefully with Andrew's disappearance approaching the 10 year anniversary, another mass appeal could be on the cards, Crimewatch maybe?

The PSP is still the mystery element isn't it. Depending on how he used it he could have been chatting to somebody on that.

He could also have been given a cheap
Payg phone couldn't he.

Again it's just my opinion but I believe it was someone known to the family who saw him regularly so there was no need for any secret chats because they had regular contact. A teacher. Family friend. Relative. Older kid at school.

I wonder if there will be a big appeal with it being 10 years. I hope so. And I hope it brings answers.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I thought similarly too you Linda. Although what I feel is that if he is no longer with us, something wound have turned up by now.

Not if he had been murdered and then buried somewhere like Epping Forest, which alone is over 6,000 acres in extent.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

The family are devoted Christians.

Is there any indication that there might have been any conflict between Andrew and his parents over his goth leanings? I know that some Christian parents, especially those an evangelical bent, can have kittens over anything they perceive as "dark".

 

[Farley]

Is there any indication that there might have been any conflict between Andrew and his parents over his goth leanings? I know that some Christian parents, especially those an evangelical bent, can have kittens over anything they perceive as "dark".

Non at all as far as can be seen. His parents accepted it when he said he didn't want to go to church. His dad had taken him to several gigs in London for bands like slip knot etc. And his dad said when he went missing he was growing his hair out because he wanted to dye it black.

Andrew's sister was also 'goth'.

His parents genuinely seem like loving supportive parents who didn't try to force their own beliefs on their children.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Thinking back to school when I was that age and a person that was a goth, quiet and very clever was unfortunately always bullied..for them to suggest he wasn't is strange to me.

That's a good suggestion. Of all the youth subcultures in the UK, the goths are apparently the least likely to go off the rails and tend to attract the more intellectual and bookish sort of teens - precisely the kids most likely to be bullied at school.

 

[Jennibee]

That's a good suggestion. Of all the youth subcultures in the UK, the goths are apparently the least likely to go off the rails and tend to attract the more intellectual and bookish sort of teens - precisely the kids most likely to be bullied at school.

I was in this camp myself at school. Kids can be cruel. Thankfully I had supportive friends in the same boat as I was.


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[ekardh]

The chances of him meeting foul play from a stranger whilst on the way to see family are also infinitesimally small. You're more likely to die of flue than you are likely to be killed by a stranger.

Yes, I agree with that. I don't think the bullying scenario and the planned kidnapping have to be mutually exclusive. It could be that Andrew confided in this individual, who invited him to London for the day to get away from all the bother at school. Either way, I firmly believe Andrew was lured to the capital for nefarious purposes. I don't buy this scenario that he fell prey to a random predator or fell in with druggies.

 

[cadwgan]

hi,
first time posting on here, I have read as much as I can about this case after seeing it on BBc panorama last year. I found it touched something and seeing how Andrew's dad was made me want to find out as much as possible.
I have one question at the moment that I cant see if anyone has already addressed. What is the feeling
about Andrew leaving to join a cult or closed group of some kind?
It seems he left with a purpose (unknown to all ) must have had some assistance to stay hidden and fed etc To meet a predator seems unlikely and would such a person have not struck again?
Also like many of you I believe the walks home instead of the bus ride home are important - is that route known to the police - who potentially could he have come into contact with?

I hope you don't mind the questions - I would hope that this year something can be uncovered

 

[Farley]

hi,
first time posting on here, I have read as much as I can about this case after seeing it on BBc panorama last year. I found it touched something and seeing how Andrew's dad was made me want to find out as much as possible.
I have one question at the moment that I cant see if anyone has already addressed. What is the feeling
about Andrew leaving to join a cult or closed group of some kind?
It seems he left with a purpose (unknown to all ) must have had some assistance to stay hidden and fed etc To meet a predator seems unlikely and would such a person have not struck again?
Also like many of you I believe the walks home instead of the bus ride home are important - is that route known to the police - who potentially could he have come into contact with?

I hope you don't mind the questions - I would hope that this year something can be uncovered

I think most (sadly) believe Andrew is no longer with us. If he had joined some cult then surely there would have been some sighting in the ten years since he vanished. He would have at the very least needed eye tests (his prescription was quite strong apparently). Yet in the ten years since he vanished there hasn't been a single confirmed sighting.

Plus we'd have to believe that a kid who left a note when going the corner shop so nobody worried had all of a sudden decided to leave his family in utter hell for a decade.

I'd absolutely love to be proved wrong and have it turn out that Andrew is alive and well someone but I just don't see it. His family seem absolutely lovely and he himself seemed like a very thoughtful and caring boy. I just don't think he would leave his family in such never ending pain.

 

[cadwgan]

hi Farley,
Thank you for your response, I guess I am hoping that there is some scenario for the family that can have a positive end point. I find this situation incredibly sad and I do agree his family are lovely and by all accounts Andrew was a thoughtful lad.

Hopefully one day soon his family will have the answers they deserve as it seems so painfully unfair.

 

[Farley]

hi Farley,
Thank you for your response, I guess I am hoping that there is some scenario for the family that can have a positive end point. I find this situation incredibly sad and I do agree his family are lovely and by all accounts Andrew was a thoughtful lad.

Hopefully one day soon his family will have the answers they deserve as it seems so painfully unfair.

I genuinely hope Andrew is safe and well somewhere. It just doesn't seem likely.

Having heard his dad speak about him I can't believe he'd leave them to this hell for ten years.

I believe as above really. Someone close to home befriended him and lured him to London for whatever reason.

I just hope one day soon some information is found.

 

[knowthings]

I genuinely hope Andrew is safe and well somewhere. It just doesn't seem likely.

Having heard his dad speak about him I can't believe he'd leave them to this hell for ten years.

I believe as above really. Someone close to home befriended him and lured him to London for whatever reason.

I just hope one day soon some information is found.

I have always believed it was a relative or close family friend that tricked Andrew into going to London, I also think that Dad has some idea of what happened, hence the attempted suicide, I don't believe he had anything to do with his disappearance but think that he feels guilty because he has some knowledge of who is involved.


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[ruined detroit]

It would be good if they could do a programme marking the 10 awful years since Andrew has been missing. Interviews with people who were involved with the family at the time, folks from the church, put some local faces out there - shake the tree a little. People who were children then are now adults and may have a bit more to say

 

[hayaletcatcher]

Happy 24th Birthday Andrew. Can not believe it's almost been ten years. Much love to his family, as always.

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[hayaletcatcher]

His father has just posted on his fb missing page, he will be doing a fundraiser for Missing People UK for the ten year anniversary.

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[gregjrichards]

It would be good if they could do a programme marking the 10 awful years since Andrew has been missing. Interviews with people who were involved with the family at the time, folks from the church, put some local faces out there - shake the tree a little. People who were children then are now adults and may have a bit more to say

Great idea I wish it would happen.

 

[Farley]

I have always believed it was a relative or close family friend that tricked Andrew into going to London, I also think that Dad has some idea of what happened, hence the attempted suicide, I don't believe he had anything to do with his disappearance but think that he feels guilty because he has some knowledge of who is involved.


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I've always thought it was someone known to the family but I personally don't think Andrew'a dad has any knowledge at all of what happened to him.

I'm pretty sure that if your child goes missing and you have any knowledge at all about who he may have gone with you would tell the police and they would rule that person out or not.

Listen to the interview he gave. The police were too busy investigating the family he felt they weren't looking for Andrew so felt if he wasn't around the police would shift focus to actually looking for Andrew. I'm sure he feels guilt, because he son vanished and he probably feels he should have notice or spotted something to indicate Andrew was about to ditch school and run off to London. I don't think for an instant second he has even a small inkling as to who is involved.

It's a shame isn't it. That not all cases get equal limelight and attention. Endless media coverage when Maddy had been missing ten years. Let's hope the same happens for Andrew.

 

[stereot]

I've always thought it was someone known to the family but I personally don't think Andrew'a dad has any knowledge at all of what happened to him.

I'm pretty sure that if your child goes missing and you have any knowledge at all about who he may have gone with you would tell the police and they would rule that person out or not.

Listen to the interview he gave. The police were too busy investigating the family he felt they weren't looking for Andrew so felt if he wasn't around the police would shift focus to actually looking for Andrew. I'm sure he feels guilt, because he son vanished and he probably feels he should have notice or spotted something to indicate Andrew was about to ditch school and run off to London. I don't think for an instant second he has even a small inkling as to who is involved.

It's a shame isn't it. That not all cases get equal limelight and attention. Endless media coverage when Maddy had been missing ten years. Let's hope the same happens for Andrew.

Visited UK recently and saw a giant poster with Andrew's face at the train station in Liverpool - it is haunting