Scott Morrison on verge of tears after getting shock update
The PM has apologised after he told a press conference he hoped for a “good ending” for a girl whose dead body was found in a barrel overnight.
National
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has apologised after an agonising blunder during a press conference where he hoped for a “good ending” for a nine-year-old girl whose dead body was found in a barrel overnight.
Mr Morrison has now conceded that he was unaware that she had been found dead and that a man had been charged with murder after spending the morning in Covid briefings.
The girl was reported missing from a wedding estate in Mt Wilson at 8.20am on Friday, January 14, sparking a major air and ground search.
At about 8.30pm last night police attended a unit on Riley Street, Surry Hills, and arrested a 32-year-old man.
During a press conference in Canberra today, the Prime Minister was asked about “the man that’s been charged over the death of the missing nine-year-old girl”.
The Prime Minister said he had been following the story and “I can‘t imagine what the parents and their community have been going through.
“And I – look, you know, hope for the best and pray for it but it doesn‘t always occur. My thoughts and prayers frankly are with the family today and that little girl. And I hope she’s alright. I really do. I’m sure we all do. Let’s hope that that has a good ending,” he said.
“And if that’s someone who’s been brought to justice, then that is also very important.”
Police, SES and RFS crews had spent the past five days scouring bushland around the multimillion-dollar Wildenstein wedding venue, where the girl was staying with family.
The nine-year-old usually lives with her grandmother in Coolangatta, Queensland.
Video footage and GPS data helped lead police to find the body of a missing nine-year-old girl in a barrel in NSW’s Blue Mountains.
Acting Commissioner Karen Webb said the search took place as homicide detectives pursued a number of leads.
“A number of other searches took place on the basis of those locations,” she said.
“Last night, police found a barrel ... and that barrel contains human remains that consistent with the missing nine year old subsequent to that.”
A crime scene was established and is being examined by specialist forensic officers.
At the end of the press conference today, the Prime Minister was asked “I wonder if you wanted to revise your comments. You said you hoped there would be a happy ending. Police have found a body and charged a man.”
“I’m sorry. I hadn’t seen that before I came out today,” he said.
“That is devastating news. I’m very sorry. Since early this morning, I’ve been engaged in other issues, as I’m sure you can imagine. Having heard that news, that’s … It’s just … Devastating. Thank you.”
Originally published as Scott Morrison on verge of tears after getting shock update
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