Cleo’s parents heard (4): ‘Grateful we can have our little girl back’ | Abroad

Cleo was kidnapped overnight from a tent during a camping holiday on October 16, and was found on Tuesday in Caernarvon, the exact Australian village where she and her parents lived. “We would like to especially thank Western Australian State Police, everyone who helped with the original search, the community at Carnarvon, local businesses, and of course our family and friends,” she said in a statement.

“We are humbled by the love and support we have received, not only from our community but from across Western Australia and the entire country,” said Cleo’s parents. The news of the mysterious disappearance of their daughter was also widely followed abroad. Cleo has already been dubbed the “Australian Maddie”, after the British girl who vanished years ago while on vacation in Portugal.

The officers found the girl in a locked house, and a 36-year-old man was arrested. When the police asked her her name when they found the girl, she replied, “My name is Cleo.” “We are so grateful that we were able to hold our little girl in our arms again, and that our family is complete again. As we try to get back on the right track in life, we ask that you respect our privacy.”