Mystery of the ‘Aussie Madeleine McCann’, 3, who vanished in broad daylight in 2014 as police begin fresh search
POLICE have launched a new search for a missing boy dubbed ‘Australia’s Madeleine McCann’.
William Tyrrell disappeared from his foster grandparents’ garden in 2014 when he was three years old.
He was in the care of foster parents and had been on a visit to the coast town of Kendall, New South Wales on the day he vanished.
His parents had gone inside to make a cup of tea while William and his sister played hide and seek outside.
When they returned five minutes later the toddler had vanished, with his disappearance becoming Australia’s most high-profile missing child case.
New South Wales (NSW) police confirmed today the hunt for William has now resumed, with bushland being searched.
TRAGIC TODDLER
A NSW spokesman said: “A search is being conducted in the Kendall area in relation to the ongoing investigation.
“No further information is available at this time.”
The fresh hunt is believed to be linked to an inquest into William’s disappearance, which is due to resume in Taree next month.
His disappearance has been compared with the mystery of Madeleine McVann, who vanished from her parents’ holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007,
DAD’S FURY
A police investigation into William’s disappearance at the time flagged two suspicious cars seen parked on the street earlier that day.
Cops also believe two local convicted paedophiles may have met up on the day William went missing.
William’s biological parents remained unaware for hours as their son was reported missing and a dramatic search for the three-year-old began.
After being told by cops his son was missing, the father, 33, said “he’s f***ing what?”
The birth father told the inquest he blamed welfare authorities for his disappearance, saying: “They f***ed up”.
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He added: “The minister has a duty of care to keep him safe until 18.”
He told court on the morning William went missing: “I do remember having that feeling, sensing something was wrong in that period … making me sound crazy.”
Blaming authorities for his son’s abduction, he said: “I broke down, I lost it”.