London, October 10: The parents of missing UK girl Madeleine McCann have expressed their sympathy for the family of toddler Aisling Symes, missing in New Zealand for almost a week, reports said today.
Gerry and Kate McCann have conveyed their best to Alan and Angela Symes for the safe return of two-year-old Aisling, who is believed to have been abducted, the UK Press Association reported.
In May 2007 Madeleine McCann disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal. She has never been found.
On Monday evening Aisling disappeared from outside her dead grandparents’ home in Auckland.
Aisling’s parents told of their despair at a press conference held earlier today, Stuff.co.nz reports.
“We want her back” Mr Symes pled.
“These recent days have proven to be the most harrowing of our lives … no sleep and we feel like we’re barely existing.
“Is she being treated well, has her nappy been changed, these thoughts churn through us as we huddle close as a family and we try to wait if there is anything.”
After the press conference, Aisling’s mother could be heard loudly crying, Stuff.co.nz reports.
Ms Symes said earlier in the week that she had been inspecting a washing machine with Aisling and her five-year-old daughter Caitlin when Aisling went missing.
“I turned off the cold tap looked behind me and she was gone – that fast,” she said.
Police searched a 3km-radius area around the house for nearly 48 hours but found nothing.
More than 60 police are now working on the case.
The New Zealand police website has a dedicated section to Aisling.
It states: “Aisling is aged two years. She is a tall girl for her age, of European appearance, with light brown hair.
“Aisling is believed to be wearing green parka jacket or ski jacket, blue jeans embroidered with flowers, and has white tennis shoes on her feet.”
Aisling was last seen talking to an Asian woman described as about 35 years old, about 165cm tall, with dark long hair and who had a black and grey medium sized dog on a lead.
—Agencies