KEY POINTS:
Missing Christchurch schoolgirl Marie Davis liked her home comforts too much to run away, her mother, Janet, said today.
Mrs Davis said her 15-year-old daughter, who has been missing now for six days, was no teenage run away and some of the items she cherished were still in
her bedroom.
Fronting a news conference in Christchurch today with family spokesman Nick Donald, Mrs Davis said she now believed someone else was involved in her daughter's disappearance and that she'd been taken against her will.
She said couldn't think of a reason why anyone would want to abduct or harm her daughter.
"I've no idea," Mrs Davis said.
She was adamant that Marie had no reason to want to take "time out" from her family.
"She liked her home comforts too much," Mrs Davis told NZPA.
Mr Donald, Marie's cousin, said the teenager liked her clothes and wouldn't be parted from her hair-straightener "and they're all still in her room".
Police say their fears for Ms Davis' safety are growing daily.
The popular Papanui High School student hasn't been seen since about 6pm on Saturday when she was dropped off at her suburban Papanui home by a friend's mother.
A neighbour reported seeing lights on in the house about 10.30pm and heard the rear door slam. Ms Davis' elder sister, Amy, had arranged to meet her at home about 8am on Sunday, but she didn't turn up.
Her cellphone went straight to voicemail.
An image of a young woman matching her description was captured on security camera footage at Christchurch Hospital last night. Police doubt it is the missing teenager, but were to show the videotape to Davis family members later today.
Police said this afternoon they'd fielded a number of calls claiming sightings of Ms Davis from around the country and were checking their validity.
Mrs Davis said today she last contacted Marie 19 days ago. She arrived home on Monday after 13 days visiting her late husband's family in the North Island to find her "baby" had disappeared.
She said she was coping "the best I can ... it's very hard".
"I am very concerned," Mrs Davis said.
"Marie is a good girl and she is not a teenage runaway. She likes her home comforts and this is totally out of character.
"I have serious concerns for her safety now."
Mrs Davis said she couldn't say what she was thinking might have happened to her daughter "without breaking up".
"I just fear the worst, because it is day six," she said.
Mr Donald said the family was taking it hard and appreciated media coverage "getting in behind us and supporting us".
"Hopefully someone might recognise her and give us a call ... or even she might be able to do that for us. She might be able to say ... `look, I'm here. I'm okay'," he said.
"That's the best outcome we could get."
- NZPA
