LITTLE 'PUMPKIN' IS REUNITED WITH HER GRANDMOTHER IN NEW ZEALAND

Little 'Pumpkin', Qian Xun Xue, the Chinese girl abandoned by her father at a rail station in Melbourne, Australia, about a week ago, has been reunited with her maternal grandmother in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday. She was brought over to New Zealand by Australian child welfare authorities.

The elder half sister of the little girl, Grace Xue who lives in Auckland, they have the same father, has pleaded with him to give himself up to US Marshals who are closing in on him in California, after he fled there after allegedly killing his wife and mother of the three year old in Auckland.

The family wll be meeting with New Zealand child welfare authorities, 'Child Youth and Family', to decide the future custody of the little girl. The grandmother is believed to want to take the girl back to China, while the older sister may be keen to look afer her in New Zealand. However,this wll be resolved after a family group conference in coming days. In the meantime there is a family reunion.

United States authorities have allegedly received new sightings of the father of the girls and have met with NZ police in Los Angeles. A US marshal would not give details but said the fresh leads were positive and being investigated.

Ms Xue said she had been abandoned by her father as well when brought to NZ as a nineteen year old, just two months after arrival and left to fend for herself in a strange country. She pleaded with him because she was struggling financially, but he simply rejected her. History repeated itself with the abandonment of little 'Pumpkin'.

Ms Xue said she hadn't met her little sister yet, as she was waiting for the go-ahead by child psychologists.

She had no preference for which country Qian was raised in, only that the persn who raised her would bring her up to be a beautiful person. But she was adamant she would be part of Qian's future, whatever it may be, and to be a positive role model for her.

Ms Xue has set up a "Little Pumpkin Trust" to ensure her financial wellbeing, with anything extra going to the other 'little pumpkins' who get abandoned by their parents, or become destitute by accident or through criminal offences.

A close family source said the mother, Anan Liu's funeral would be a small private affair.

The trust in New Zealand has a website, www.littlepumpkintrust.org New Zeland phone 0900-40000

Once the father, Nai Yin Xue, has been arrested by American police and handed over to their New Zealand counterparts, there will be some closure for the little girl and her family.

Pete's Life and World Event