The family and best friend of Amy Fitzpatrick have hit out at the failure of Spanish police to find her 14 years after she went missing.
Ashley Rose was the last person to see the Irish 15-year-old alive – and has never been formally interviewed as an adult even though she has contacted the investigation team several times. Ashley, the teen’s father Christopher and her aunt Christine Kenny all believe police in Spain and the Irish Government could do more to find her.
The case is listed as “suspended” until new information becomes available. However, Christine said the police were given new information on where Amy’s body was buried in a stable block at a Fuengirola racetrack – but no proper search was carried out.
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They also want Amy’s case changed and upgraded from a missing person’s to a full blown murder investigation. Thousands of people have signed an online petition supporting this and for a full cold case review to be carried out.
Amy vanished on New Year’s Day 2008 as she left Ashley’s home near Calahonda on the Costa Del Sol to return to her own villa, a 10-minute walk away. She had her mobile phone with her, a device that is at the centre of the case after it turned up in her Spanish home a few days later.
Amy was reported missing three days later by her mother Audrey and stepfather Dave Mahon, who she lived with in Spain along with her late brother Dean.
Dean was later stabbed to death by Mahon in May 2013 after a row at a Dublin flat. Mahon served five years of a seven-year sentence in Ireland for the manslaughter of the 23-year-old.
He lives with the lad’s mother in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim. Christine said: “We have received little or no information from the Spanish police, the investigation is going nowhere at the moment. They are never in contact with us or Amy’s dad. They never tell us what is going on.
“The Irish Government has also been useless and despite what they might say they have also done little or nothing to help us. They could put pressure on the Spanish to have the case upgraded to a murder inquiry but the political will is not there for whatever reason.
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“If the shoe was on the other foot and a Spanish child was missing in Ireland, our Government would pull out all the stops. All we want is justice for Amy. We do not believe she is alive.
“We want to find her body and bring her home and give her a proper burial and let the matter rest. The family is devastated Amy has not been found.
“Somebody out there knows something. I would appeal to anyone with information to come forward. A case like this, the disappearance of a 15-year-old child, can no longer continue to be covered up.”
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Ashley still lives in Marbella but has never forgotten Amy and just wants the police to do their job. She added: “I have been in contact with them but never hear anything back. It is wrong.”
Gardai said last night: “An Garda Siochana have and will continue to assist the Spanish authorities with this investigation on their request. At all times any information that has come to the attention of An Garda Siochana in respect of missing person Amy Fitzpatrick has been forwarded through the appropriate channels, Interpol, for the attention of the Spanish authorities.
“Garda family liaison officers are assigned to the family of Ms Fitzpatrick.” The Guardia Civil would not comment on the case at this stage.
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