Ahern pledges review of inquiry into missing teen

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern who met with the family of missing Irish teenager Amy Fitzpatrick in Dublin yesterday has promised a comprehensive review of the investigation into her disappearance.

Mr Ahern met with Audrey Fitzpatrick, the mother of the 15-year-old, and Dave Mahon, Amy’s stepfather.

Amy disappeared from the Costa del Sol resort of Rivieria del Sol on January 1 last.

She was last seen at 10pm on New Year’s Day as she left a friend’s house to walk to her own home a short distance away.

Mr Ahern, who heard of the distress caused to Amy’s family since her disappearance, sympathised with their plight. He repeated the Government’s offer to provide whatever assistance it could and emphasised that the Irish Embassy in Madrid was willing to assist.

The Taoiseach pointed out that he would ask the embassy to arrange a meeting between the family, Irish officials and the Spanish police in order to have a comprehensive review of where the investigation now stood.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, through the embassy, has been in regular contact with Ms Fitzpatrick and Mr Mahon as well as with Amy’s family living in Ireland.

Family spokesperson Franco Rey said both Ms Fitzpatrick and Mr Mahon were heartened by the meeting with Mr Ahern.

Mr Rey insisted that police were still working on three theories — that she left voluntarily; that she was being held against her will; or that a tragedy had occurred.