“The parents have been nothing but helpful”
Forensic officers have searched Cleo Smith’s family home for the third time.
The 4-year-old has been missing since October 16th.
She was sleeping in a tent with her family at a campsite in Western Australia before going missing.
Acting Police Commissioner Col Blanch explained that it is routine to search the family home in cases like this.
Mr. Blanch stressed that Cleo’s mum Ellie and her stepfather are not suspects.
The young girl has now been missing for 11 days and concerns are growing.
Detectives believe she was abducted from the family’s tent in the early hours of the morning on October 16th.
Speaking to 6PR Radio, Mr. Blanch said: “The parents have been nothing but helpful. We’ve worked very closely with them, they’ve let us into their home, they’ve let us into their cars, their phones — everything.”
https://twitter.com/WA_Police/status/1453263546171670536
He added, “Our job is to eliminate everyone that was at that campsite, and that is a systematic and thorough approach in doing so in any investigation. “That really is the focus of the investigation at the moment.”
Officers removed two evidence bags from the family’s house.
The forensic officers searched the property for signs of a stalker or break-in prior to Cleo’s disappearance.
They believe all signs lead to an abduction.
The statement comes after Cleo’s mum responded to claims she was involved in her daughter’s abduction.
She said, “I can’t imagine what that feels like for someone … if they’ve got kids, they know what it feels like to be a parent and there is no way that either myself or Jake could’ve done anything to hurt our daughter.”
“How could someone feel that they could do that to someone, how could someone take my child? My gut just felt sick. I would never wish anyone to wake up and feel that feeling that went through me. I couldn’t explain that to you.”
