Cleo Smith’s mother switches social media accounts to private

After a harrowing ordeal, Cleo Smith’s mother has acted to further protect the family as they spend their first weekend back together again.

Cleo Smith’s family on Friday night made their first public statement since the four-year-old’s rescue – saying they have been “humbled by the love and support that we have received”.

“We are so thankful that our little girl is back within our arms and our family is whole again,” the statement said.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the rescue of our daughter Cleo Smith.

“In particular, we would like to thank WA Police, all those involved in the initial search, the Carnarvon community, local businesses and of course our family and friends.

Cleo and her mum Ellie Smith leaving a house where she spent her first night after being rescued in Carnarvon. Picture: AAP

“We are humbled by the love and support that we have received from not only our local community but the whole of Western Australia and across the country.

“As we try to get on with our lives, we ask that you respect our privacy.”.

Earlier in the day, the family had switched their social media accounts to private, as they try to come to terms with what has happened to them.

Ellie Smith’s social media accounts have been overwhelmed since Cleo went missing and she now has almost 86,000 followers.

And every post Ms Smith has made since the news of Cleo’s rescue has attracted more than 16,000 comments.

While the family are spending time together and trying to return to some form of normalcy, the rest of the town is also closing ranks behind them.

Ellie and Cleo in a photo posted on the mother’s Instagram account.

Friends and colleagues have stopped answering their phones and said they won’t be making any more comment.

Police said it was a time now for the family to reconnect after what had been a very difficult and harrowing time.

The family would be just staying close together, getting back to a routine and playing with Cleo as they did prior to October 15.

This weekend will be their first all together again since Cleo was taken and her ordeal made national headlines.

Officers have given a glimpse into their lives revealing Cleo rarely let her parents out of her sight, even asking mum to be close by and watch her when she takes a nap or sleeps at night.

It is a critical stage of the investigation for police as they attempt to establish what the four-year-old went through for the 18 days she was missing.

Her thoughts are slowly being teased out after two sessions will those chats with specialist child crime interviewers to begin again on Monday.

Cleo knows she has been the national focus and has commented about the pictures and signs posted around Carnarvon for her.

Originally published as Cleo Smith’s mother switches social media accounts to private