Child missing in Australia

[MyLifeNow20]

In the news. Cant stop thinking about it. Poor child and her family x

Australians aren't laid back about children going missing rurally. If anything they know the dangers of the water and the bush. If your child went missing even on a big property the first thing you'd think was 'is there a dam'.

The area they were in was very very dodgy.

There's a substantial reward offered now

Might flush out the perp. Fingers crossed

Are these rewards ever paid out?

After all, if someone comes forward and says they abducted a child the police aren’t going to pay out are they?

You often see mention of rewards being offered, but never any talk of them having been paid out. So what good do they actually do?

I’m always of the view that these types of things are offered because the authorities have a good idea what’s happened but don’t have enough to voice it yet.

Well it's a million Australian dollars so it's hefty

Appealing to a certain part of the community maybe.

I've never known a reward of this size offered so early in an investigation!

@HeartsAndClubs I think the rewards are offered, not so much to tempt the abductor to come forward and admit to the crime, but to encourage friends/ relatives/neighbours of the perpetrators who may have seen or heard something odd but weren't planning to say anything. Perhaps they were scared of the perpetrator, maybe they felt it was none of their business, or sometimes they're worried that the thing they saw was actually of no significance after all, and dobbing in their friend would mean the end of the friendship. The reward is intended to overcome these inhibitions so people do come forward with important information and the police can get the offender.

The area they were in was very very dodgy.

^
Because it's close to water? Or the sex offenders? Or both?!

Since a big reward is being offered I should imagine they have more reason than is public to think that she’s been abducted. Abductions are rare but sadly they do happen like in the case of Sarah Payne.

I hope there is a chance that she’s still alive and can be found.

I do think that previous cases have shown how easy it is to hide bodies in some areas of Australia, which of course adds to the concern.

I hope they find her soon. Her poor mum and dad must be devastated.

My dp has spent time in that area of Oz years ago. He says it's very difficult terrain.

I have a dc of that age and would be devastated if anything happened to them.

Well it's a million Australian dollars so it's hefty

£540,000

The police now say they’re searching for a body my heart goes out to her family.

Soul breaking

Are these rewards ever paid out?

Didn't the unibomber's brother get a million dollars?

Demeanor very often does show guilt

It’s also perfectly possible to feel guilty without actually being responsible for whatever has happened. I’m sure anyone whose child went missing in these circumstances would never get over the feeling of “if only…”.

@Itsnotover

The police now say they’re searching for a body my heart goes out to her family.

They've said they're investigating all avenues. They actually now think she's been abducted. They've wound down the search at the campsite and are asking all service stations, bakeries and similar within a 1000 km radius to check and turn in their CCTV images.

They've already taken the CCTV from surrounding businesses as the roads go out of the area.

Not really relevant but that area looks so remote, doesn't look like much habitation at all. I'm only looking on the drone footage and satellite views but I can't see any settlements aside from the campsite. Hard to imagine 20 people living there, never mind 20 convicted sex offenders.

Can't imagine what her poor family are going through. Wishing them the best and hoping for a good outcome.

News update on TV has said the police have stopped the land search and are now heading to Perth with vital information (no mention of what the information is) as it's now a criminal investigation I assume they'd be keeping that information to themselves for the time being.

So heartbreaking :(

@betterchangemynamequick

Not really relevant but that area looks so remote, doesn't look like much habitation at all. I'm only looking on the drone footage and satellite views but I can't see any settlements aside from the campsite. Hard to imagine 20 people living there, never mind 20 convicted sex offenders.

Can't imagine what her poor family are going through. Wishing them the best and hoping for a good outcome.

The campsite is about 50km from Carnavon - the town where Cleo Smith's family live, and to which that sex offender number refers

Fairly detailed Aussie news article with latest on current state of the investigation (last update about 5 hours ago - WA is 7 hours ahead of UK, so that means it's from about the end of their working day, Friday)

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-22/cleo-smith-search-ends-as-police-investigate-suspected-abduction/100560164

@Viviennemary

I'm a bit suspicious of those random abductions of toddler age children. I think there is usually a different explanation.

Like what?

Police have gone to the parent's house and are apparently fingerprinting it. The article I read said it was incase someone had targeted Cleo but it does look a bit suss doesn't it?

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-23/forensics-officers-gather-evidence-at-cleo-smith-home/100544340

@FortunesFave

Police have gone to the parent's house and are apparently fingerprinting it. The article I read said it was incase someone had targeted Cleo but it does look a bit suss doesn't it?

You think it looks 'suss' that police would fingerprint the outside windowsills in an abduction case in case she had been stalked by one of the known sex offenders in the area, who's fingerprints would all be on file?

Why is that 'suss'?

Yes you're probably right. Maybe the parents reported they'd heard things at night...the police might even have prints from the tent that they want to compare to any they find on the house. I should not speculate.

I can't stop thinking about this poor little girl. She looks so sweet and happy in all those family photos, and is obviously much loved. I am praying every day for her safe return.

The most logical answer is usually the correct one.

It’s a bit of a leap to think that a sex offender in the area will have been watching the house and then followed them to the camp sight where they knew exactly where in the tent she would be, and then abducted her from there