Missing British girl’s family give person of interest ultimatum

The family of a British girl who disappeared in Australia more than 50 years ago have threatened to release the name of a key person of interest unless he comes forward to answer their questions.

Authorities believe three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was kidnapped from Fairy Meadow Beach in Wollongong in January 1970.

One suspect was charged with her kidnapping and murder, but his trial in 2019 collapsed after a detailed confession he made when he was a teenager was ruled inadmissible. He denies any wrongdoing.

The identity of the man, known only as Mercury, is protected because he was a minor at the time, but a politician has offered to name him under parliamentary privilege while the family presses for a new investigation.

“[Mercury]”We have until Wednesday evening,” Cheryl’s brother, Ricky Nash, told reporters on Friday.

Jeremy Buckingham, a NSW MP who has been supporting Grimmer’s family, said he was prepared to use parliamentary privilege to name the man when the state parliament resumes sitting on Thursday.

Mr Nash wants Mercury to explain to the family how he knew the information in his confession – and whether or not it is true.

“That’s enough,” he said, on the verge of tears at times. “We want the truth to come out.”

Cheryl was on the beach at Fairy Meadow with her family on January 12, 1970. When the family decided to pack up, Mr. Nash, as the eldest sibling, was put in charge of his siblings and told to go to the bathroom building.

Laughing, Cheryl ran to the women’s changing rooms and refused to come out. Mr. Nash was too embarrassed to go in himself, so he returned to shore to ask his mother for help. When they returned, 90 seconds later, the child was gone.

The family had recently emigrated to Australia from Bristol as the Ten Pound Poms.

Despite extensive searches, there were no leads. Then in 2017, a man in his 60s was charged with Cheryl’s kidnapping and murder after officers discovered a confession made to police by a teenage boy in 1971.

A judge later ruled that the confession could not be presented as evidence at trial and the charges against him were dropped.

On Friday, the family released a lengthy document detailing mistakes they say authorities in New South Wales made while searching for Cheryl, and called for more answers.

“We have made various requests to the NSW authorities for a new trial or investigation but to no avail,” the family said in the letter.

“We feel the police have deceived us several times, saying they were conducting case reviews or exploring leads that made no sense to us. The incompetence and negligence in the NSW Police investigations into this case over most of the last 55 years is beyond comprehension.”

NSW Police have defended their behaviour, stressing that homicide detectives are still investigating Cheryl’s disappearance – and that a A$1 million reward for information remains on offer.

“Police continue to examine every line of investigation and search for answers into Cheryl’s death,” NSW Police said in a statement.

Three potential eyewitnesses came forward after the BBC broadcast Fairy Meadow true crime podcast in 2022, which has since been downloaded five million times. Their calls were forwarded to investigators.

But the family were recently told that a four-year review of the case found there was no new evidence that could lead to a conviction – even though new potential eyewitnesses had not been formally interviewed by officers.

The family, along with a volunteer team using cadaver dogs, searched an “area of ​​interest” they hoped would lead to progress in the case earlier this month. But police said subsequent searches in the area only found animal bones.

Cheryl’s family disputes the police response, and said volunteers returned to the area on Friday, collecting soil samples to send to the UK and US for further analysis.

“Cheryl disappeared more than 55 years ago,” the family said. “It’s time for answers, it’s time for accountability.”

It comes as the NSW Parliament announced an inquiry into long-standing missing persons cases in the state, including Cheryl’s. It will look at how investigations are conducted and ways to improve.