Family of vanished British toddler decries police failure as NSW inquiry opens

Sat Jun 13 2026 13:46:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The family of three‑year‑old Cheryl Grimmer, who disappeared from an Australian beach in 1970, claims police bungled the case for over five decades.

Cheryl Grimmer vanished from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970, and despite an extensive search, no leads emerged. A suspect was charged in 2017, but the case collapsed after his confession was deemed inadmissible. During a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into unsolved murders, Katherine (Ricki) Nash demanded accountability, arguing a proper investigation could have revealed the truth years earlier. The hearings also examined other long‑gone disappearances, including Kay Docherty and the possible link to serial killer Ivan Milat. The inquiry promises further hearings over the next months.

Family of vanished British toddler decries police failure as NSW inquiry opens

The brother of a 3‑year‑old British girl who disappeared from a New South Wales beach has warned a parliamentary inquiry that police bungled the case for more than 50 years.

Cheryl Grimmer vanished from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970. The police launch a search, but no evidence surfaces, and the case stalls.

A suspect, nicknamed “Mercury,” was charged with Cheryl’s abduction and murder in 2017, but his teenage confession was declared inadmissible, causing the trial to collapse. Prosecutors have since dropped the case, and the accused maintains his innocence.

Ricki Nash, Cheryl’s elder brother, told the inquiry that if police had performed a proper investigation in 1971, the truth would have emerged years before. He recounted his mother’s frustration at the police being told Cheryl must have run away and dying of a “broken heart”‑style grief.

The hearing also covered other families, such as the Dowchs, whose daughter Kay Docherty disappeared from near Wollongong in 1979, and their belief that their case might be linked to notorious Australian serial killer Ivan Milat, who murdered at least seven backpackers between 1989 and 1992.

Forensic criminologist Dr Xanthe Weston highlighted Milat’s egocentric behaviour and the impact of his sister’s death on his violent actions. Dr Andrea Hughes, a cousin of Keren Rowland, was critical of police leadership for failing to solve the 1971 case of a pregnant 20‑year‑old woman who vanished from Canberra.

NSW police are yet to respond to a request for comment. Further hearings are expected over the coming months.