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Girl found missing for weeks in Australia

2021-11-03T09:24:26.980Z


In Australia, it's the news of the day: Little Cleo Smith, who disappeared in mid-October, is alive and well. There is great joy and relief. But what has happened at the campsite since that night?


In Australia, it's the news of the day: Little Cleo Smith, who disappeared in mid-October, is alive and well.

There is great joy and relief.

But what has happened at the campsite since that night?

Perth - The redeeming news came in the middle of the night and brought tears of joy to many in Australia: After two and a half weeks, four-year-old Cleo Smith, who had previously disappeared from a campsite, was safely discovered in a house.

Officials broke into the building in the town of Carnarvon shortly before 1:00 a.m. (local time) and found the girl in one of the rooms.

According to police, a 36-year-old is in custody and is being questioned.

He is said to have had no ties to the family.

On breakfast television, the presenters spoke in a broken voice as they reported the good news.

“Miracles have happened!” Cheered a spokesman on “9News”, probably expressing the sentiments of the whole nation.

Mother Ellie Smith posted on Instagram in the morning: "Our family is complete again." Below a user commented: "We are so incredibly happy and relieved for you." Another wrote: "Welcome home, darling girl!"

The miracle happened

Then finally a first photo: The police of Western Australia published a picture on Twitter that shows Cleo waving cheerfully in the hospital bed, wrapped in a white blanket.

"The miracle we all had hoped for," it said.

A video shows the moment of rescue as Cleo is carried out of the house by an officer and hugs him tightly.

When she was reunited with her parents, she only shouted “Mummy!” And then there were tons of tears and hugs, said Sergeant Cameron Blaine, who witnessed everything first hand, at a press conference.

The parents were beside themselves with joy.

Meanwhile, the girl is already back home.

The police said she was physically unharmed.

A look back: The Blowholes - sea caves from which the surf splashes - are a popular destination on the Indian Ocean.

They are about 75 kilometers north of Carnarvon, where Cleo's family lives.

Ellie Smith, her partner and the two daughters are out with the tent and hope for a few carefree days.

It is October 16 when the mother wakes up around 6 a.m. in the family tent at the Blowholes campsite and realizes that Cleo is no longer there.

Her small sleeping bag has also disappeared.

The horror grows when it becomes clear: the zipper of the entrance is pulled up so far that the child cannot open it himself.

A million Australian dollars for notes

The police are puzzled.

A 100-person special commission is set up.

The only lead is the testimony of witnesses who saw a car drive away from the campsite the night Cleo went missing.

But neither the make of the car nor the license plate are known.

The government of Western Australia finally offered a reward of one million Australian dollars (around 650,000 euros) for clues leading to the location of the girl - but all alleged sightings come to nothing.

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Ellie Smith (l) and her partner Jake Gliddon show a photo of their missing daughter Cleo near Carnarvon in the state of Western Australia.

© James Carmody / AAP / ABC NEWS Pool via AP / dpa

Meanwhile, the desperate parents repeatedly go public with dramatic appeals - in the hope of convincing the perpetrator or perpetrators to release the girl.

Because according to the evidence, there was only one plausible explanation: Little Cleo was kidnapped.

"It is a remarkably bold and shocking thing to go to a campsite, put up a tent and take a little girl with you," Western Australia Prime Minister Mark McGowan said on Wednesday.

"It is unbelievable that someone would do something like that."

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Some already saw parallels to the case of the then three-year-old British Maddie McCann, who disappeared from an apartment complex in Portugal on May 3, 2007 without a trace.

The girl's unexplained fate continues to make headlines today.

When investigators surprisingly announced last year that a German was suspected of murder, at least hope for late certainty arose.

So far, however, there has been no breakthrough in the investigation.

The moment Cleo was rescued 👏 pic.twitter.com/arusYi9kCa

- WA Police Force (@WA_Police) November 3, 2021

But Cleo had this breakthrough - thanks to incredible police work, as Vice Police Chief Col Blanch emphasized.

"We looked for the needle in the haystack and we found it," he told the local radio station 6PR.

"When she said," My name is Cleo, "not an eye was dry in the house." Experienced investigators burst into tears with relief.

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Cleo's mother, Ellie Smith, wrote on Instagram: "Our family is complete again."

© Supplied / WESTERN AUSTRALIA POLICE / dpa

"This was persistent, methodical policing," said Police Commissioner Chris Dawson.

Investigators have collected thousands of forensic exhibits, data and information from the community and carefully examined each clue.

"Then this one showed up and they informed me and said," Look, we think we came across something here, "Dawson said. Shortly afterwards, he received news of the child's rescue.

What wonderful, relieving news.



Cleo Smith has been found and is home safe and sound.



Our prayers answered.



Thank you to the many police officers involved in finding Cleo and supporting her family.

- Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) November 2, 2021

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison thanked the police via Twitter.

“What wonderful, relieving news.

Cleo Smith was found home safe and sound, ”he wrote.

Parliamentarian Tanya Plibersek said via Twitter: “What this family has been through is the worst nightmare of all parents.” Dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-11-03

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