Seven years on, father renews plea to find missing Amy

The father of missing schoolgirl Amy Fitzpatrick has made an emotional appeal for information about his daughter’s mysterious disappearance exactly seven years ago.

Dubliner Amy was 15 when she vanished on New Year’s Day 2008, as she walked home from a friend’s house in Spain’s Costa Del Sol.

Her family, including separated parents Audrey and Christopher Fitzpatrick, are struggling to come to terms with the more recent fatal stabbing of of their only other child, Dean Fitzpatrick.

Audrey’s partner, Dave Mahon, 43, has been charged with the murder of the 23-year-old father-of-one and is expected to stand trial next July.

Amy’s family have conceded in the past that there is little hope that she is still alive. But despite extensive investigations and searches, her body has yet to be recovered.

As her surviving family prepared for yet another torturous New Year’s Eve on the seventh anniversary of her disappearance, Christopher called for anyone possessing vital information to come forward.

He added: “I am appealing for anyone that knows what happened to my daughter to get in touch. We now know someone has information that could help solve Amy’s case.

“It’s never too late. Please don’t be afraid to contact us,” he said.

For more information, see www.searchforamy.com  or Missing Amy Fitzpatrick on Facebook.

Yesterday, Amy’s father, Christopher Fitzpatrick, told how the loss of his two only children has left him with a “very broken heart”.

In a heartfelt post on the Facebook page ‘Missing Amy Fitzpatrick’, he wrote: “Those special memories of you [Dean] will always bring a smile. If only I could bring you back for just a little while. Then we could sit and talk again just like we used to.

“You always mean so very much and always will do too. The fact that you are no longer here will always cause me pain, but you’re forever in my heart. Until we meet again Son.”

He continued: “It’s so wrong Dean was so tragically taken from us at such a young age. All I have left is memories and a very broken heart.”

Meanwhile, gardaí in Cork and Dublin have issued separate appeals for the public’s assistance in tracing two teenage girls who were last seen last week.

Megan Higgins, 17, from the Fairhill area of Cork City is described as being 5ft 7in tall, of thin build with blonde hair and blue eyes and was last seen by her family on St Stephen’s Day, wearing white leggings and a black top.

Anyone with information on Megan’s whereabouts are asked to contact Gurranabraher Garda station on 021 4946200 or ring the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

Separately gardaí are looking for assistance in tracing 16 year-old Josie Cawley who is missing from Rathfarnham in Dublin. She was last seen on December 22, 2014, and is described as being 5ft 5in tall, with long reddish hair and green eyes.

It is believed she is in the Rathfarnham/Tallaght area.

Anyone with information on Josie is asked to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000 or ring the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.