+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

36-year-old man charged in 4-year-old's abduction from a campsite in Australia

Nov 4, 2021, 20:30 IST
Insider
Cleo Smith and her mother Ellie Smith leave a house where the girl spent her first night after being rescued in Carnarvon, Australia, November 4, 2021. AAP/Richard Wainwright via Reuters
  • Four-year-old Cleo Smith was found by police on Wednesday, 18 days after she disappeared.
  • A suspect in the case was charged with "forcibly taking a child under 16" on Thursday.
Advertisement

A 36-year-old man has been charged in the abduction of 4-year-old Cleo Smith, who was found earlier this week 18 days after she disappeared from a campsite in Australia.

The Western Australia Police said in a statement to Australia's ABC that Terence Kelly was charged on Thursday with a number of counts, including "forcibly taking a child under 16."

Police told CNN that officers found Cleo playing with toys in a bedroom of a locked home in Carnarvon, about 30 miles from where she had last been seen with her family at a campsite in Western Australia.

Investigators said at a press conference that Cleo's case was a "very quick-moving situation" where officers were able to identify a person of interest after spotting a vehicle driving away from the family's campsite the night she was taken, the New York Times reported.

The motive behind the alleged abduction remains unknown, though Western Police told CNN that they believe the suspect acted "spontaneously" and alone.

Advertisement

Cleo Smith's disappearance had gripped Australia for more than two weeks, as people compared the missing child's case to that of Madeleine McCann, a 3-year-old British girl who disappeared while on vacation with her family in Portugal 14 years ago.

Madeleine McCann has yet to be found, though her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, still have "hope" because Cleo Smith was ultimately found and rescued, a family source told The Sun.

"It's the news every parent of a missing child hopes and prays for no matter how long it has been," the source said. "They are thankful that she had been found, and share her parents' joy and relief at the outcome."

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article