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.
Cheryl Grimmer, who was just three years old, vanished from Fairy Meadow beach near Sydney on January 12, 1970. Her family, who had recently emigrated from the UK, have been informed that the four-year review of the case has not produced any new evidence to lead to a conviction.
Anger has arisen as three potential eyewitnesses who approached the BBC were not formally interviewed by the police, despite their details being provided to the authorities.
Ricki Nash, Cheryl's brother, voiced his frustration, stating, There are no words, just nothing... Our family can't move forward without the help of the police. The eyewitnesses came forward following the airing of the BBC's Fairy Meadow true crime podcast, which has gained significant attention since its release.
One eyewitness reported seeing a teenage boy taking a small child from the beach, claiming he had communicated with the police briefly but heard nothing more afterward. This testimony has prompted concerns over the police's handling of potential leads.
Former detective Damian Loone, who once worked on the case, criticized the police's failure to take further action in interviewing witnesses, labeling it as careless policing and emphasizing that the eyewitness accounts could hold the key to finding answers about Cheryl's fate.
Despite past investigations leading to charges against a suspect, those charges were later dropped, and the case remains unsolved. With renewed calls for an inquiry into the police's methods surrounding missing persons cases, the Grimmer family continues their search for justice and clarity regarding Cheryl's disappearance.
The NSW Police have stated that they evaluate witness submissions on a case-by-case basis and underscored a commitment to reviewing established facts with the Grimmer family.