The family of a toddler who disappeared from an Australian beach more than 50 years ago have criticised police for not formally interviewing potential eyewitnesses during a review of the case. Officers suspect three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was abducted from Fairy Meadow beach, which is about 50 miles (80km) south of Sydney in New South Wales (NSW), when she went missing on 12 January 1970. The Grimmer family had only just emigrated from the UK.
They have now been told the review, which took four years to complete, has not brought up any new evidence that could lead to a conviction. They are angry that three potential eyewitnesses who spoke to the BBC were not formally interviewed by officers, despite their contact details being passed to police.
Ricki Nash, Cheryl's brother, expressed "total frustration" over the review's handling, highlighting the family's inability to move forward without police support. The eyewitnesses had come forward after the BBC aired the Fairy Meadow true crime podcast in 2022.
One man reported seeing a teenage boy carrying away a small child from changing rooms beside the beach on the day Cheryl disappeared. Despite brief communication with police, he heard nothing further.
Former Detective Sergeant Damian Loone, who worked on Cheryl's case, stated that the police's failure to interview this witness reflects poor investigative practices. He acknowledged the significance of new testimonies, connecting the age of the potential abductors to the witness's observations.
Cheryl's story resonates with many as her family continues to seek answers, intensified by a petition for a parliamentary inquiry into unsolved missing persons cases in NSW. The police maintain that they evaluate every piece of information based on its relevance to the case, but dissatisfaction remains among the Grimmer family and supporters alike as they pursue justice for Cheryl.
They have now been told the review, which took four years to complete, has not brought up any new evidence that could lead to a conviction. They are angry that three potential eyewitnesses who spoke to the BBC were not formally interviewed by officers, despite their contact details being passed to police.
Ricki Nash, Cheryl's brother, expressed "total frustration" over the review's handling, highlighting the family's inability to move forward without police support. The eyewitnesses had come forward after the BBC aired the Fairy Meadow true crime podcast in 2022.
One man reported seeing a teenage boy carrying away a small child from changing rooms beside the beach on the day Cheryl disappeared. Despite brief communication with police, he heard nothing further.
Former Detective Sergeant Damian Loone, who worked on Cheryl's case, stated that the police's failure to interview this witness reflects poor investigative practices. He acknowledged the significance of new testimonies, connecting the age of the potential abductors to the witness's observations.
Cheryl's story resonates with many as her family continues to seek answers, intensified by a petition for a parliamentary inquiry into unsolved missing persons cases in NSW. The police maintain that they evaluate every piece of information based on its relevance to the case, but dissatisfaction remains among the Grimmer family and supporters alike as they pursue justice for Cheryl.
