Family Welcomes Decision to Review Cold Case
The family of Cheryl Grimmer, a British girl who vanished in Australia over 55 years ago, has expressed support for prosecutors' willingness to reconsider her disappearance case.
Disappearance Details
Cheryl Grimmer, aged three, disappeared from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970. Despite extensive searches at the time, no leads were uncovered.
Previous Legal Proceedings
In 2017, a suspect was charged with Cheryl's abduction and murder. However, the trial collapsed after the suspect's teenage confession was deemed inadmissible. The suspect denies involvement, and prosecutors subsequently dropped the case.
Renewed Interest Following Public Pressure
Following public pressure, including appeals from Cheryl's family, the New South Wales (NSW) director of public prosecutions has indicated a willingness to conduct a special review of the decision to drop the case.
In correspondence addressed to Cheryl's family, Sally Dowling, the NSW director of public prosecutions, acknowledged that the usual time limit for families to request a review had passed but agreed to examine the case regardless.
Dowling stated that the review could proceed based on evidence provided by police in 2019, or the family could await further consideration of "fresh" information reportedly discovered by detectives.
"It's taken way too many years but finally we're really happy that they see our fight for some justice for Cheryl," Ricki Nash, Cheryl's older brother, told the BBC.
Family's Request for Investigation Reopening
Ricki Nash indicated that the family had formally requested NSW Police to reopen the investigation, incorporating new evidence that has emerged since 2019.
"We are not asking for anything extraordinary," Nash said. "When transparency leads the process, evil can no longer hide behind process failures or bureaucratic division."
Circumstances of Cheryl's Disappearance
On the day Cheryl disappeared, Nash was responsible for his younger siblings as the family prepared to leave the beach. He was instructed to go to the bathroom block, where Cheryl ran laughing into the ladies' changing rooms and refused to come out.
Feeling too embarrassed to enter himself, Nash returned to the beach to inform his mother. When they both returned approximately 90 seconds later, Cheryl was missing.
Ongoing Advocacy and Parliamentary Actions
Since the trial's collapse seven years ago, Cheryl's family has advocated for a renewed investigation, citing numerous procedural errors by NSW authorities during the original search.
In October of the previous year, Jeremy Buckingham, a member of the NSW Legislative Council, used parliamentary privilege to disclose the suspect's identity. Previously, the suspect had been referred to only as Mercury, with his real name legally protected due to his minor status at the time of the alleged offense.
Additionally, in May, a NSW parliamentary inquiry will examine unsolved murders and long-term missing persons cases, including Cheryl Grimmer's disappearance.
Additional Resources
The Fairy Meadow podcast, which covers this case, is available for streaming or download on .
