Jesinta Franklin deletes Instagram story about Cleo Smith: ‘Need to do better’

Jesinta Franklin has removed her comments about Cleo Smith, in which she addressed the disparity between ‘missing children who are white and Indigenous children’.

Jesinta Franklin has deleted a social media post in which she addressed the “disparity” between missing white and Indigenous children, in the wake of the Cleo Smith case.

Model Franklin, who is married to Indigenous AFL star Lance “Buddy” Franklin, said she posted her thoughts on Instagram stories because “we need to do better for all children who go missing”.

Franklin, 30, has since deleted the story that was uploaded on the day Cleo was found alive and well, 18 days after she went missing from a remote West Australian campsite.

In the Instagram story, Franklin said there was a “disparity” between the public attention on “missing children who are white and Indigenous children”.

Jesinta Franklin has questioned the “disparity” between “missing children who are white and Indigenous children” in the wake of the Cleo Smith case. Picture: Tim Pascoe

Jesinta Franklin’s since-deleted Insta story. Picture: Instagram

“Without taking away from the joy of finding a missing child alive and well, I can’t help but think about the disparity that exists in this country between missing children who are white and Indigenous children when it comes to the visibility and coverage of the case,” Franklin said in the since-removed Insta story.

Cleo Smith was found after 18 days. Picture: WA Police

She continued: “I have read so many heartbreaking stories of missing Indigenous children that garner hardly any media coverage or the social media coverage that a case like Cleo’s did”.

“I have no doubt the widespread broadcasting of information in regards to the case assisted the phenomenal efforts of the WA police force in locating this beautiful little girl and reuniting her with her family.”

The mother-of-two concluded the Instagram Story by saying she was “posting this because I think we need to do better for all children who go missing and their families”.

Police found Cleo was “alive and well” inside a house in Carnarvon on Wednesday – 75km from where she went missing.

“One of the officers picked her up into his arms and asked her ‘what’s your name?,’”

WA Police Deputy Commissioner Colonel Blanch said, of the moment Cleo was found. “She said: ‘My name is Cleo.’”

A 36-year-old remains in police custody. No charges have been laid.

Originally published as Jesinta Franklin deletes Instagram story about Cleo Smith: ‘Need to do better’