The search for Amy Fitzpatrick continues

It is now 16 years since 15-year-old Amy Fitzpatrick disappeared on New Year’s Day 2008 after babysitting for a friend of the family just a few minutes away from where she was staying.

Disappeared without trace

Her mother Audrey had been enjoying the evening with friends and family in a bar in Calahonda and had no idea that she would never see her daughter again.

It appears that Amy left her friend’s house in Riviera del Sol at 10pm on New Year’s Day for the short walk to where the family were staying and both her mother and aunt, Christine started to worry when nothing was heard from her.

Amy literally disappeared and apart from one telephone call that purportedly came from her abductor a year later who demanded a ransom of €500,000 to return Amy, there have been no real clues as to what happened to her on that night.

Audrey has never given up hoping and praying that Amy would be found and regularly travelled from Ireland to the Costa del Sol in order to appeal for help and information.

In September 2015, she and Amy’s stepfather were invited by the mayor of Mijas, Juan Carlos Maldonado and Councillor Mario Bravo for the official opening of a memorial garden in Los Claveles, La Cala, where they held a memorial service for the five missing people that have not been traced since their disappearance which includes Amy.

The last decade has not been a good one for Audrey as she has also had to overcome her own serious health problems and saw her partner Dave Mahon jailed for the manslaughter of son Dean although he has now been released.

Still hoping for an answer

Last year, their hopes were raised and dashed after a woman called the family, informing them that Amy’s body could be found at a particular spot at Mijas racecourse, but this proved to be a hoax.

The family still hopes against hope that Amy will be discovered alive and appeals for any information through their website https://www.searchforamy.com/.