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world news Diabierna 5 november 2021

Stranger charged with abducting 4-year-old Australian girl

(AP) — Cleo Smith was member police team that made the man a suspect.
back to her laughing, bub- used a battering ram to smash
bly self as she played in into a locked house early “It wasn’t a random tip or
the backyard of her Aus- Wednesday and rescue Cleo. a clairvoyant or any of the
tralian west coast fam- The lights were on and she sort of things that you might
ily home on Thursday, was alone playing with toys in hear,” Police Minister Paul
hours before a 36-year-old a house less than a 10-minute Papalia said. ”It was just a
stranger was charged with drive from her own, police hard police grind.”
abducting the 4-year-old said.
from a camping tent more Kelly was taken from po-
than two weeks ago. “My name is Cleo,” the smil- lice detention to a hospital
ing girl told the police of- late Wednesday and again on
Police charged Terry Kelly, a ficers who rescued her and Thursday, with what media
local resident, with forcibly asked her name as confirma- reported were self-inflicted Mark McGowan also visited victim of stranger abduction
taking a child among other tion that they had found the injuries. the family on Thursday and alive after more than two
offenses, a police statement right child. commented on how “well- weeks was rare.
said. Asked about reports Kelly adjusted” the child and her
Kelly was arrested in a nearby was injured after banging his parents seemed. “Sadly, they’re normally
Kelly appeared briefly in street at about the same time, head against a cell wall, West- killed quickly, usually during
court in the town of Carnar- police said. ern Australia Police Deputy “She’s bubbly, playing, the first three hours,” Mallett
von where a magistrate re- Commissioner Col Blanch friendly, sweet. She was eat- said.
fused to release him on bail. Detective Superintendent only replied that there were ing an icy pole, she spilt it
Rod Wilde, who heads the ”no serious injuries.” every way. She told me it was The Carnarvon communi-
Police visited Cleo’s family in police investigation, said spe- very, very sticky, which I be- ty’s willingness to help po-
Carnarvon as they prepared cialist child interviewers had A police statement said Kel- lieved, and she was just de- lice find Cleo was likely a key
to gather crucial eyewitness traveled to Carnarvon from ly’s “medical matter does not lightful,” McGowan said. factor in the investigation’s
evidence involving Kelly, the state capital Perth, 900 relate to any police involve- success, she said. Police had
who is suspected of snatch- kilometers (560 miles) to the ment with him.” McGowan said he gave her offered a 1 million Australian
ing her from a campground south. two teddy bears dressed in dollar ($743,000) reward for
north of the town of 5,000 Wilde said Kelly had since police uniforms, but she information, but don’t expect
people on Oct. 16. “The main concern around returned to the police sta- seemed unimpressed with the money will be claimed.
that is Cleo’s welfare,” Wilde tion and was “speaking to of- his suggestion that she name
“I can only see her on the said of the interview. ficers.” them Cameron and Rod after “I always thought that this
outside, but from that point the senior detectives leading was going to be somebody
of view, I’m amazed that she “We have experienced people Wednesday was the first full her investigation. with local connections be-
seems to be so well-adjusted that will undertake that and night Cleo spent at home cause it was somebody who
and happy, and it was really it’ll take as long as it takes. with her mother, Ellie Smith, Blaine, a homicide investi- knew that campsite, so the
... heartwarming to see that We’ll sit down with the fam- stepdad Jake Gliddon and her gator, said he was uncertain fact that she was so close to
she’s still bubbly and she’s ily and work out the appro- baby half-sister Isla Gliddon whether Cleo recognized that campsite and so close to
laughing,” Detective Senior priate time,” Wilde added. since the family’s ordeal be- him from their first meet- Cleo’s home wasn’t a sur-
Sergeant Cameron Blaine gan. ing when they met again on prise to me,” Mallett said.
said. Police would not comment Thursday. He described his
on whether Cleo was in- As they slept, public build- reaction to finding Cleo alive Police “engaged so well with
”I’m sure that it has had an terviewed before Kelly was ings in Perth were illumi- as “shock, followed by ela- that community and had
impact, but just to see her charged. nated with blue lights to tion.” them on board, they had the
behaving quite naturally like celebrate the success of the whole community’s eyes on
a 4-year-old girl should do Media have reported Kel- police investigation. In Car- “We’d always hoped for that everyone, reporting anyone
and just enjoying being in ly raised suspicion among narvon, balloons were raised outcome, but were still not suspicious. I think that was
the presence of her little sis- other residents when he was on buildings and signs were prepared for it,” Blaine said. really key in this investigation
ter and her family was good,” seen buying diapers and was posted welcoming Cleo — just great, old-fashioned,
Blaine added. known to have no children, home. Xanthe Mallett, a criminolo- boots-on-the-ground police
but police have disclosed gist at Australia’s Newcastle work,” Mallett added.
Blaine was part of a four- little information about what Western Australia Premier University, said finding a

Nicaragua’s Ortega seeks 4th straight term with foes in jail

(AP) — Back in May, the were looking good. His Then a CID-Gallup poll gave under house arrest, their par- jailed or, in the case of Cris-
chances of Nicaragua party was arranging the him a scare: It showed five ties banned, as Ortega faces tiana Chamorro, is in house
President Daniel Ortega’s electoral calendar in his potential opposition candi- off against a handful of little- arrest since June 2,” said Jen-
reelection to a fourth con- favor and the opposition dates with higher favorability known candidates from small nie Lincoln, senior advisor
secutive term on Sunday was divided. ratings than Ortega. parties friendly to his own to The Carter Center, an in-
Sandinista Front — factions stitution that helped validate
In the weeks that followed, known locally as “zancudos” the fairness of Ortega’s elec-
all five were arrested, as were or mosquitos. tion in 2006 but found “sig-
two other possible contend- nificant deficiencies” when
ers. The vote has been con- he won reelection five years
demned as farcical by the later.
“Faced with that fear, Ortega United States, European
decided to suppress any pos- Union and Organization of Lincoln, who has worked as
sibility of losing,” said Oscar American States, as well as an election observer through-
René Vargas, a political ana- human rights and pro-de- out the region, said with the
lyst. “And that meant arrest- mocracy organizations. lack of real opposition and
ing everybody.” calls for voters to stay home
“There is no choice. So the on election day, “that is noth-
Fast forward to this Sunday. use of the word election is ing that approaches interna-
The potential opposition even in question because the tional standards of an elec-
candidates are still jailed or broad opposition has been tion, period.”