Alessia and Livia What did father do with missing Swiss twins?

The mother of twin six-year-old girls, who have been missing from their home in Switzerland for more than a week, has made a television appeal for their return.

The girls, Alessia and Livia, were taken by their father, whose body has been found near the Italian city of Bari, which is where the search is now being concentrated.

Duncan Kennedy reports from Italy.

Missing Swiss Twins: Dad Posted Cash To Mother

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1:03pm UK, Wednesday February 09, 2011

Nick Pisa, in Italy

The mother of missing twins received thousands of euros in the post from her estranged husband before he committed suicide, Swiss police have confirmed.

Police in three countries are looking for the twins

Irina Lucidi was posted several envelopes from Bari, Italy, which contained a total of 4,400 euros.

Her six-year-old daughters Alessia and Livia Schepp have not been seen since their father, Matthias Kaspar Schepp, apparently threw himself in front of a train in Italy on Thursday.

They were taken from their home in Lausanne, Switzerland, by Mr Schepp more than a week ago.

Their uncle, Dr Valerio Lucidi, has said the family’s hopes of finding them alive are now fading.

We are really scared that something bad happened.

Dr Valerio Lucidi, the twins' uncle.

He said the fact Mr Schepp had posted the money suggested he did not intend to use it to care for the twins.

"This worries us a lot that we received the money, because it shows there is no caregiver.

"We are really scared that something bad happened.

"I hope we will find them as soon as possible but our hope is diminishing minute after minute."

He added that the twins are very bright, fluent in French and Italian, and capable of fending for themselves if necessary.

Schepp also sent his wife a note from Marseille saying he could not live without her, police said, and a letter a day later from nearby Toulon. The couple had separated.

Swiss police have also now confirmed some of Schepp's last movements.

They said Schepp, who was spending the weekend with his daughters, was last known to have been with them on Sunday, January 30, around 1pm.

He went to Geneva and crossed over the border into France in the Annecy region shortly after 6pm that night.

He was supposed to return the girls to their mother's house or to school the next day.

But that night, their mother alerted police that the girls were missing after exchanging puzzling text messages with Schepp.

French police established that Schepp took the ferry on Sunday night from Marseille to Propriano, on the Mediterranean island of Corsica.

From there, he went to the Naples area of Italy.

Rescuers search for the missing twins

Schepp's black Audi A6 was found Thursday in Cerignola, where his body was also discovered.

It remains uncertain whether the girls were with him after Lausanne. In Marseille, he bought three ferry tickets to go to Corsica, but police said there is no evidence they were used.

Police in France, Switzerland and Germany are scouring rural areas including lakes, potholes and wells.

Swiss police have been searching homes, boats and the waters around Lake Geneva and have also investigated petrol stations Mr Schepp may have used.

Specialist underwater cameras are also being used which allow filming to take place several metres underwater.

A newspaper and Facebook appeal for help has so far failed to bring about any compelling new leads.

Anyone with information on the twins has been asked to contact the investigating authorities on +41 21 644 82 31.

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