Gladstone’s Leah Cooper, 15, boarded two flights to NZ without family’s knowledge
Questions have been raised as to why a missing girl was able to board two flights and return to New Zealand without her family’s knowledge as police investigations continue.
Rockhampton
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A distressed family have been left reeling as they learned their teenage daughter who was reported missing boarded two flights without their knowledge and returned to New Zealand.
Leah Cooper, 15 was reported missing late on Thursday after family members last saw her walking along the Dawson Highway at New Auckland, near Gladstone Airport.
Australian police are now reportedly working alongside their New Zealand counterparts to help locate the missing teen.
The Cooper family had relocated to Australia about a fortnight ago, and following a week of holidaying on the Gold Coast began to settle in to their new life in Gladstone.
The mother of the missing teenager, Corrie Cooper said there was no obvious indicators that Leah was considering travelling back to New Zealand.
“I am beyond shocked! I cannot believe that a child in the eyes of the law is able to fly unattended domestically, let alone leave the country … I honestly cannot believe she was able to fly internationally with no questions being asked,” Ms Cooper said.
“There appears to be such striking flaws somewhere.”
The family remain concerned about Leah’s whereabouts within New Zealand, and troubled that someone had facilitated her trans-Tasman travel.
Police informed the family on Friday afternoon investigations had revealed the teenager first travelled to Brisbane unaccompanied before travelling internationally to New Zealand.
Leah, her mother Corrie, and six other family members moved to Australia on June 18.
It is understood Leah had been seen on the social media accounts of friends back home in New Zealand.
She was last seen wearing a red and black checked jacket, shorts, white trainers and is carrying a dusty pink Nike backpack.
She is described as Pacific Islander, about 170cm tall, of proportionate build with dark brown hair, and has a distinctive traditional Maori tattoo of a stingray on her right calf.
Policelink 131 444 | Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000
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