The family of a British girl who disappeared in Australia more than 50 years ago has threatened to name a key person of interest unless he comes forward to answer their questions.
Authorities believe three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was abducted from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970.
A suspect was charged with her abduction and murder, but his 2019 trial collapsed after a detailed confession made when he was a teen was ruled inadmissible. He denies any wrongdoing.
Known only as Mercury, the man's identity is protected as he was a minor at the time, but a politician has offered to name him under parliamentary privilege as the family pushes for a fresh investigation.
[Mercury]'s got until Wednesday night, Cheryl's brother Ricki Nash told reporters on Friday.
Jeremy Buckingham, a New South Wales parliamentarian who has been supporting the Grimmer family, said he's prepared to use parliamentary privilege to name the man when state parliament resumes sitting on Thursday.
Mr. Nash wants Mercury to explain how he knew information contained in his confession - and if it was true or not. Enough is enough, he said, at times on the verge of tears. We want the truth to come out.
Cheryl had been on the beach at Fairy Meadow with her family on 12 January 1970. When the family decided to pack up, Mr. Nash, as the eldest brother, was put in charge of his siblings and told to go to the bathroom block.
Cheryl ran giggling into the ladies' changing rooms and refused to come out. Too embarrassed to enter himself, Mr. Nash went back to the beach to tell his mother to help. When they returned, 90 seconds later, the toddler was gone.
The family had only recently migrated to Australia from Bristol as so-called Ten Pound Poms.
Despite extensive searches, there were no leads. Then, in 2017, a man in his 60s was charged with Cheryl's abduction and murder after investigators discovered a confession made by a teenage boy in 1971.
A judge later ruled the confession could not be presented as trial evidence, and the charges against him were dropped.
On Friday, the family released a lengthy document detailing the missteps they say were made by authorities in NSW regarding Cheryl. They said they have been fobbed off numerous times and feel that NSW police have shown incompetence and negligence in the investigation over the past 55 years.
NSW Police have defended their conduct, asserting that homicide detectives are still investigating Cheryl's disappearance and that a A$1m reward for information remains on offer.
Three potential eyewitnesses came forward after the BBC aired the Fairy Meadow true crime podcast in 2022, which has since been downloaded five million times. Their contacts were passed on to investigators, yet the family learned that a four-year-long review found no new evidence for a conviction, despite the potential eyewitnesses not being formally interviewed.
Cheryl's family disputes the police's response and continues to search for answers, recently collecting soil samples for further analysis. They demand accountability, stating, Cheryl disappeared more than 55 years ago. It's time for answers. An inquiry into long-term missing persons cases in the state will also investigate how investigations have been carried out and suggest improvements.
Authorities believe three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was abducted from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970.
A suspect was charged with her abduction and murder, but his 2019 trial collapsed after a detailed confession made when he was a teen was ruled inadmissible. He denies any wrongdoing.
Known only as Mercury, the man's identity is protected as he was a minor at the time, but a politician has offered to name him under parliamentary privilege as the family pushes for a fresh investigation.
[Mercury]'s got until Wednesday night, Cheryl's brother Ricki Nash told reporters on Friday.
Jeremy Buckingham, a New South Wales parliamentarian who has been supporting the Grimmer family, said he's prepared to use parliamentary privilege to name the man when state parliament resumes sitting on Thursday.
Mr. Nash wants Mercury to explain how he knew information contained in his confession - and if it was true or not. Enough is enough, he said, at times on the verge of tears. We want the truth to come out.
Cheryl had been on the beach at Fairy Meadow with her family on 12 January 1970. When the family decided to pack up, Mr. Nash, as the eldest brother, was put in charge of his siblings and told to go to the bathroom block.
Cheryl ran giggling into the ladies' changing rooms and refused to come out. Too embarrassed to enter himself, Mr. Nash went back to the beach to tell his mother to help. When they returned, 90 seconds later, the toddler was gone.
The family had only recently migrated to Australia from Bristol as so-called Ten Pound Poms.
Despite extensive searches, there were no leads. Then, in 2017, a man in his 60s was charged with Cheryl's abduction and murder after investigators discovered a confession made by a teenage boy in 1971.
A judge later ruled the confession could not be presented as trial evidence, and the charges against him were dropped.
On Friday, the family released a lengthy document detailing the missteps they say were made by authorities in NSW regarding Cheryl. They said they have been fobbed off numerous times and feel that NSW police have shown incompetence and negligence in the investigation over the past 55 years.
NSW Police have defended their conduct, asserting that homicide detectives are still investigating Cheryl's disappearance and that a A$1m reward for information remains on offer.
Three potential eyewitnesses came forward after the BBC aired the Fairy Meadow true crime podcast in 2022, which has since been downloaded five million times. Their contacts were passed on to investigators, yet the family learned that a four-year-long review found no new evidence for a conviction, despite the potential eyewitnesses not being formally interviewed.
Cheryl's family disputes the police's response and continues to search for answers, recently collecting soil samples for further analysis. They demand accountability, stating, Cheryl disappeared more than 55 years ago. It's time for answers. An inquiry into long-term missing persons cases in the state will also investigate how investigations have been carried out and suggest improvements.
