Jayden Pearson is with his father Andrew, possibly in Alcobaça/ Nazaré
Heartbroken mum Rebecca Jones, 35, has appealed to the people of Portugal to help bring her son home.
Jayden Pearson is in the company of his 33-year-old father Andrew.
Andrew has a police record for theft, and has a community service order to serve until August this year.
Rebecca stresses “nothing will happen to him” if he just comes back to UK now with their son, who is two weeks away from his 14th birthday, as the community service order still has time to be fulfilled.
“I am absolutely desperate”, she told us. “We all are. I have his younger brother Mathew with me, and he is so confused. Since this happened, he feels abandoned by his dad, and he doesn’t understand why he cannot speak with his elder brother. All we want is to have Jayden home for his birthday.
“Andrew’s family have been massively supportive all through this”, she adds. “We just want Jayden home”.
The drama began last August: all four (Rebecca, Andrew, Jayden and Mathew) went on a family holiday to Lagos.
“I honestly thought everything was okay”, says the NHS assistant. But as the holiday was drawing to a close, Andrew lost his passport – or at least this is what he said – and it was agreed that Rebecca and Mathew would fly home ahead of him and Jayden, as Andrew called round family members for financial help to get an emergency travel document.
“That was the story”, says Rebecca. “I only realised later it was all a way of getting me out of the picture”.
Fifteen minutes before Andrew and his son were due to take a return flight to UK, Andrew blocked Rebecca and his mother on his phone – and the nightmare began.
Rebecca has filed missing persons reports; she has been in touch with PSP police, who she says have been helpful.
PSP agents searched a location in Alcobaça where Andrew and Jayden had been seen, but were unable to find them.
Through the months, Andrew has occasionally been in touch, via email or messages with Rebecca and his family – but never to give Jayden’s location.
“I haven’t spoken with Jayden since September 13”, says the distraught woman.
BBC’s Look North programme carried news of the situation earlier this week; the Mirror, Mail, Daily Star, Wales Online, Hull Daily Mail and Doncasterfreepress have all written articles, but up till now there has been nothing in the Portuguese mainstream, beyond messages shared over social media.
“We just want to hug him again”, says Rebecca, of her son.
Jayden has now been a year without school – a year without contact with his friends. It is not in any way clear whether he has been receiving an education, or even what he is doing. But Rebecca feels certain her son is still in Portugal, with his father.
Anyone with any information can contact Lagos PSP police on 282 780240 or Rebecca herself on 00447498322390.
Equally, if Andrew and Jayden see this article, Rebecca asks them to “please come home”.
