27/08/2026
"Amy is Ireland's Madeleine McCann. She was only a child when she went missing but yet she has been ignored and forgotten. We have not heard from the Spanish police in years."
Those are the words of Amy Fitzpatrick's aunt Christine as the missing Irish teenager's family braces for the 20th anniversary of her disappearance.
Amy disappeared in Spain at just 15 years of age on New Year's Day in 2008, meaning it is under 18 months until Amy's family must mark 20 years since she vanished.
Her father, Christopher Fitzpatrick, has now voiced his concern that Spanish authorities could "archive" the case once it reaches the 20-year mark since her disappearance.
This could mean he may never uncover the truth about what happened to his daughter.
He is now urging the Gardaí's Serious Crime Review Team to collaborate with investigators in Spain on a joint inquiry — something that is not currently in place.
The 60-year-old said: "People need to realise that this isn't just our nightmare — this could happen to any family. Anyone's child could go on holiday or move within the EU and if they vanish, you will find yourself completely locked out by the system.
"No family should lose their right to answers simply because their child crossed a border. We have been searching for 18 long years to find out what happened to Amy and we just want answers and closure."
