A 36-year-old man has been charged in Australia with abducting a four-year-old girl from a remote campsite 18 days before she was found safe in a locked house.
The man was twice taken to hospital for self-inflicted injuries before being interviewed and charged with various offences related to the abduction of Cleo Smith, police in Western Australia state said in a statement.
The girl had last been seen in her family's tent in the early hours of 16 October at the remote Blowholes Shacks campsite in Macleod.
Her disappearance triggered an extensive search by land and air, along with roadblocks and scouring of CCTV footage.
She was found safe yesterday when police broke into a house in Carnarvon, a town about 100km south of the campsite on the far northwest coast of the state.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The house is 3km from her family home, media said.
Police said the charges the suspect faces include one count of forcibly taking a child under 16.
He appeared in court and is due to appear again on 6 December.
A 36-year-old man has been charged in Australia with abducting a four-year-old girl from a remote campsite 18 days before she was found safe in a locked house. | Read more: https://t.co/yEUJtrMuWn pic.twitter.com/KkTD3o5MKc
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 4, 2021
Earlier, police said that he "acted alone" as they released an audio recording of their entry into the house and the discovery of the girl in a room.
"We've got her. We've got her," an officer could be heard saying.
After being asked her name a few times, the toddler answered: "My name is Cleo". She had been found playing with toys with the light on, police said.
After meeting her family, state Premier Mark McGowan said Cleo was a "very bright, upbeat, sweet little girl" and looked "very well adjusted", considering her ordeal.
Specialist child interviewers would speak with her, and authorities had instructed her parents on how to talk to her to preserve her memory, authorities said.
"My name is Cleo." pic.twitter.com/xiy59x4kjP
— WA Police Force (@WA_Police) November 4, 2021
Many had feared the search for Cleo would end in tragedy, but the discovery of her "alive and well" sparked elation, with police admitting "seasoned detectives" were "openly crying with relief".
The hashtag #CleoSmith has been trending on Twitter.
Purple and pink balloons adorned the streets and many landmarks in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, were lit up in blue last night to thank police for their efforts.
After Cleo's ordeal was over her mother, Ellie, posted on Instagram that "our family is whole again".
Their small hometown of Carnarvon, which had spent weeks on edge after the girl's disappearance, was soon decked out in balloons and "welcome home" signs as residents celebrated the news.
One of her rescuers, detective Cameron Blaine, said he visited the family after Cleo was released from a brief hospital stay yesterday and she appeared to be coping well.
"It was really heartwarming to see her interact and playing in the backyard and just being herself and around her parents," he said.
"I'm amazed she seems to be so well-adjusted and happy."
The moment Cleo was rescued 👏 pic.twitter.com/arusYi9kCa
— WA Police Force (@WA_Police) November 3, 2021
Cleo's mother had woken at 6am on 16 October to find the family's tent unzipped and her oldest daughter missing, sparking a massive ground, air and sea search.
Police have said they believe the abduction was unplanned and "opportunistic".
