| Amy’s distraught family makes petition appeal |
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| Thursday, 26 June 2008 | |
 THE family of a Coolock girl who disappeared in Spain at the start of the year is campaigning for a European alert system for missing children.Amy Fitzpatrick (16), from Coolock, went missing in Mijas, Spain, on January 1, while walking home from her friend’s house and hasn’t been seen since. Up until last week, the family had gathered over 11,000 signatures - including those of a number of Irish MEPs – for their online and paper petitions. And now Northside People readers are also being asked to sign the petition. Amy’s aunt, Christine Kenny, from Donaghmede, has been running a tireless campaign not just to find her niece, but also to have Europe-wide missing persons alert system put in place. Christine believes this could help prevent similar cases. “I believe children are precious and we need to protect them,” she told Northside People. “I don’t want any parents to have to experience the heartache that my brother (Amy’s father) is going through. “Amy is a lovely child and all we can hope for is that she is returned to us safe and well. “We are doing everything we can to find her but it’s devastating.” Christine’s petition is calling for the creation of a new alert system that would immediately inform police across Europe of all missing children along with a dedicated base to co-ordinate searches. The petition has the backing of an Irish missing persons group called Missing in Ireland Support Service (MISS). Christine has travelled to Spain, Portugal and the UK since Amy went missing, trying to find people who can help. “I have even met Gerry McCann (father of Madeline McCann) who was very supportive,” she stated. “I fund everything myself and would gladly sell my own possessions to continue the search. “I would appreciate any help I can get though. If people want to sign the petition online or print them out, that would be great.” The petition is calling for the creation of a system similar to the North American Amber Alert Program, a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, and transportation agencies to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child abduction cases. American broadcasters use an Emergency Alert System, originally designed to warn about nuclear attacks, to air a description of the abducted child and suspected abductor. from p.1. Christine believes a similar system in Europe could use television, mobile phones and the internet. “I won’t sit back any longer,” she declared. “I kicked off this campaign in March and got 1,000 signatures on the first day.” Christine believes that it takes too long for the police to contact their counterparts in other countries and is concerned that valuable time would be lost as a result. “We want to have direct contact and co-operation,” she said. “We are asking all parents, grandparents, extended family, friends and their children to sign our petition. “It only takes a couple of seconds and we hope it will make the European Parliament listen. “We are looking for volunteers in Ireland and Europe to help get signatures for the petition and get this alert system put into place.” Anyone interested in signing this petition is advised to email Christine at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Meanwhile, Christine has also resorted to more unconventional means in her search for Amy, enlisting the help of a British psychic who claims to have experience in finding missing children. He has travelled to Spain twice with Christine to help in the search. “I won’t leave any stone unturned in my attempt to find Amy,” stated Christine. “If he can help with that then so be it.” “Another woman has also been helping us with the search; she has special abilities to deal with cases like this. “I don’t know if it will work but I am willing to try anything really. “I just want whoever has Amy to please God let her come home to her family,” added Christine. Amy was living in Spain for three years with her mother, Audrey Fitzpatrick, before she went missing. Audrey has been working with the spokesman for Madeleine McCann’s family, Clarence Mitchell, to raise awareness of the case and briefly returned to Ireland last week to appeal for further information. |
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Developed by Kevin Flynn