Mum of aristocrat missing with newborn baby and sex offender boyfriend pledges to stand by daughter in new open letter
7 February 2023, 14:07
The mum of an aristocrat who is missing with her newborn baby and convicted sex offender boyfriend has pledged to stand by her daughter in an emotional open letter.
Writing to her daughter Constance Marten, 35, and her grandchild, Virginie de Selliers said: "You are not alone in this situation. We will support you in whatever way we can."
Ms Marten has been travelling around the UK by taxi with her partner Mark Gordon, 48, since their car was found burning on the M61 in Bolton on January 5.
Police believe the couple have been sleeping rough in a blue tent and fear for the safety of their baby, who has not been given medical attention since being born in January.
In a letter sent to the PA news agency by a family member, Mrs de Selliers writes: "I know you well enough; you are focused, intelligent, passionate and complex with so much to offer the world.
"So many of your friends have come forward to say such positive things about you, assuring us of their warmest love and support for you and your family.
"You have made choices in your personal adult life which have proven to be challenging, however I respect them, I know that you want to keep your precious new-born child at all costs.
"With all that you have gone through this baby cannot be removed from you but instead needs looking after in a kind and warm environment."
Mrs de Selliers added that she wants to help her daughter and her grandchild, both of which she says "deserve the opportunity to build a new life" in a stable family.
She added: "Constance, I will do what I can to stand alongside you and my grandchild. You are not alone in this situation. We will support you in whatever way we can.
"I am ready to do what it takes for you to recover from this awful experience so you can thrive and enjoy motherhood. I love you and miss you, Mum xx."
It is the first time Mrs de Selliers has spoken publicly about her daughter's disappearance, who has so-far avoided being traced by police by moving around frequently and keeping their faces covered.
Investigators believe the couple built up a large amount of cash in the months before they vanished and used it to pay for places to stay in across the UK.
Ms Marten and her partner travelled from Bolton to Liverpool, then to Essex, through east London and into Sussex.
In an update on Sunday, the Metropolitan Police said they believe the family may be camping in Sussex.
Miss Marten, who is from a wealthy aristocratic family, was a promising drama student when she first met Mr Gordon in 2016.
Since then the couple have led an isolated life, and in September, when Miss Marten was well into her pregnancy, began moving around rental flats. Gordon served 20 years in prison in the US for rape and battery committed when he was 14.
A £10,000 reward is on offer for information that leads to them being found safe.
Anyone with information can call the incident room on 020 7175 0785 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
