Aisling's parents deliver emotional plea

PETER MEECHAM

EMOTIONAL PLEA: Alan and Angela Symes said the last few days had been the most harrowing of their lives.

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MISSING: Police hold grave concerns for two-year-old Aisling Symes.

'Is she near us?'

Search for Aisling

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LAWRENCE SMITH Zoom

TRIBUTE: A boy lays a bouquet amid flowers and toys left outside the property which had belonged to the Symes family.

Aisling's parents: 'we want her back'

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"We want her back" is the heartfelt plea from the father of missing Auckland toddler Aisling Symes.

At an emotional press conference this afternoon, Aisling's parents - Alan and Angela - told of their despair at their two-year-old daughter's disappearance.

"These recent days have proven to be the most harrowing of our lives ... no sleep and we feel like we're barely existing."

Aisling vanished on Monday evening as her parents cleared a section at the vacant home of a relative in Henderson. Police scoured a 3km-radius area around the house for nearly 48 hours before concluding she was not inside the search boundaries. Officers now believe she has been abducted.

Mr Symes said questions about where Aisling was were haunting him.

"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."

Mr Symes said the weight of their grief was being supported by all New Zealanders.

"To the people of New Zealand who have offered their love and support, we would like to say to you a big thankyou."

"Aisling is our two-year-old daughter and a sister to Caitlin, a cousin and a beloved niece and granddaughter.

"We want her back ... So please, if you have any info, any at all, please come forward."

Following the press conference, Aisling's mother rushed from the room and could be heard loudly crying in anguish.

Inspector Gary Davey said it was nearly three days since Aisling went missing and police had finished their search in the immediate area for the toddler.

There were over 40 police investigation staff working on the case.

Mr Davey appealed for members of the public to come forward with any information they may have, no matter how trivial.

Police Commissioner Howard Broad had spoken with the family this morning to offer his support.

Mr Davey appealed directly to the person who may have abducted Aisling, asking them to drop her off "somewhere safe".

"We want Aisling returned safely, that is our sole concern."

Today, Prime Minister John Key expressed concerns about the missing toddler.

"Our hearts go out to the family, we are very concerned about her welfare and we hope for a speedy and successful return of the little girl."

"If anybody has any information they should come forward to the police, we've seen situations in the past on numerous occasions where information from the public has led to a successful outcome."

Police are today visiting known sex offenders and "people of concern" living in the West Auckland area where the two-year-old disappeared from. Officers would also continue to follow up any reports of suspicious behaviour in recent weeks in the local area.

MYSTERY ASIAN WOMAN

Attention is increasingly focused on a mystery Asian woman seen by two separate witnesses holding hands with Aisling. Police say finding the woman is "crucial" to the case.

However, concerns have resulted in a number of 111 calls regarding sightings of Asian people with European children.

Auckland police swooped on a middle-aged Asian couple walking a child "remarkably similar" to the missing tot in Kingsland today. Inquiries confirmed the child was not Aisling.

Officers at the scene carried newspaper clippings of stories about Aisling in an attempt to compare her image with the girl in Kingsland.

The couple told police they were looking after the child, 20-month-old Ellen, on behalf of friends. But police wanted to confirm their story with the little girl's mother.

The Asian couple then lead two officers to a nearby office block where the child's mother was interviewed.

One of the Asian babysitters, Allen Yang, told Stuff.co.nz he was shocked when officers "stalked" him and his wife.

"I had seen the little girl on the news so I understand why they did," Yang said.

An officer who attended the incident apologised to the Yangs and to Ellen's mother. "I'm sorry but we were obliged to follow this up," the officer said.

"She was remarkably similar".

Ellen's mother, Karen McChesney, said she felt for Aisling's parents. "I can't imagine what they are going through, their girl is the same age as mine and I would be totally devastated if I was in their shoes."

CRIMINOLOGIST

Canterbury University criminologist Greg Newbold said police would be looking at those with a paedophilic predilection or history – though sexual attacks against children so young were rare.

"All of the options look unlikely really – that's the problem with this case ... It's a really, really unusual case."

Aisling's parents would be pinning their hopes on the sighting of the woman, Dr Newbold said. There were precedents of women kidnapping other people's children for "nutty parental reasons".

"It's an absolute nightmare for them ... Everyone in Auckland is a potential suspect. There's a massive range of suspects."

Botany MP Pansy Wong said Asian television and radio networks in Auckland had been calling out for anyone who might know the Asian woman to come forward.

- Dominion Post and Stuff.co.nz