Missing mom and girl, 6, sought by police

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Pearl Rose Gavaghan Da Massa, 6, has been missing since 2008. She was last seen in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood in July.


Toronto police are renewing efforts to find a six-year-old girl abducted by her mother after new information surfaced showing the girl may be suffering.

Pearl Rose Gavaghan Da Massa was taken from her Manchester, England, home and brought to Toronto by her mother Helen Gavaghan in 2008, police said. They both used aliases while in Canada, and it's believed they lived in the Parkdale area, where Gavaghan, 33, offered child-care services.

Pearl showed "signs of trauma" when a healthcare worker saw her in September 2009, Toronto detectives were told recently.

Henry Da Massa, Pearl's father, moved to Toronto nine months ago to search for the girl. The new information confirmed some of his suspicions, he told CBC News.

"It's my considered opinion based on everything that's known about the way Helen and Pearl are living that Pearl's not receiving medical attention, she's not going to school … and she isn't mixing with other children," said Da Massa, who legally has joint custody of his daughter.

"They are living a very isolated life between them."

Da Massa has not seen his daughter since 2008, when it's alleged Gavaghan took their daughter to Cancun, Mexico. After travelling through Mexico, Gavaghan — using a passport under her legally changed name Meta Internation — crossed into Texas, then moved on to Toronto.

U.K. authorities have issued an international arrest and extradition warrants for Gavaghan's arrest after the British High Court ruled it was illegal for her to have taken Pearl out of England.

In Toronto, Helen and Pearl reportedly went by the names Dana and Belle Flaherty.

Gavaghan is described as five foot five inches tall with a thin build, brown-green eyes and long black hair.

Pearl was around three-foot-seven when last seen, although she may have grown, and has an average build and light brown hair, police said.

Toronto police officers were headed to speak with them this year when the pair moved again. Peal was spotted once in the Parkdale area in July, police said, but there have been no further tips.
 
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