Cops form task force as shadowy group ‘hides abductors’ of five-year-old Grace Hughes

Police have formed a ‘multi-agency task force’ as the focus of their search for a missing Darwin five-year-old turns to a shadowy group claiming to have abducted Grace Hughes.

POLICE are working to understand the motivations of a group they believe is hiding missing Darwin girl Grace Hughes, who was taken from a supervised visit more than 10 days ago.

In an extraordinary step, NT Police on Thursday confirmed a special task force was convened to find five-year-old Grace and her mother Laura Hinks.

Detective Superintendent Kirsten Engels said NT Police had partnered with the Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission in the search for Grace.

“We have never ruled out the possibility Grace and Laura may be interstate so we’re throwing every resource we have and following all leads,” she said.

“We’re also having ongoing engagement with all other Australian policing jurisdictions and other relevant NT government departments also.

“We know that this group has taken responsibility for the abduction and the ongoing concealment (of Grace).”

Detective Superintendent Engels said police had no information to suggest Grace was “in immediate physical harm”.

“But that is only one element of harm,” she said.

“We know that this group has taken responsibility for the abduction and the ongoing concealment (of Grace).

“They’re pushing their own agendas and own ideologies.

“And we know they are also pushing a lot of false information, and what we do note is they do fail to really recognise the detriment to the health and wellbeing of Grace as they continue to do so.

“And that is what we’ve firmly focused on; the safety of Grace and the return of her home.”

Detective Superintendent Engels would not be drawn on wild speculation circulating on social media about the circumstances of Grace’s home life but reiterated there was a “legal obligation for her to be brought home”.

“We just know that the child was removed under traumatic circumstances,” she said.

“She was removed from a supervised parental visit and she has been hidden from the world by this group of people.

“We know that that will have a traumatic effect on her. The child would be confused, she would be scared and she’s been removed from her routine, from her family, from her siblings, from her school.

“We know she has to be returned home.

“That has to be done sooner rather than later.”

The group in question, she said, was yet to be fully understood, particularly in terms of what they stood for or believed in.

“That’s secondary to the fact we know they’ve taken her. We know that they continue to hide her, they continue to fail to address the fact that this is going damage to this child,” she said.

“We’re following up all leads right now.

“We don’t know exactly where she is. There are people out there, we clearly know they’re a group saying they’re hiding her, they know where she is and they could give us that info right now.

“And we’re asking them to.

“Do the right thing.”

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Jon Beer early Thursday said the group “continues to peddle ideologies and false information that have no regard for the mental wellbeing of a five-year-old girl”.

“The conduct of this group is despicable,” he said.

“NT Police will continue to target this group and any other persons assisting the ongoing harbouring of Grace. Police will use every power available to them to locate Grace.”

Sergeant Beer said anyone found to have “harboured those who abducted Grace” would face the full force of the law, and urged insiders to speak out about the group’s activities.

Grace Hughes has been missing for more than a week.

“Any persons inside this group or any members of the public that have any knowledge of Grace’s abduction are urged to come forward and contact police on 131 444, or anonymously, via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” he said.

Sergeant Beer said the task force would have “specialist support” from other policing jurisdictions, including the Australian Federal Police.

“The task force is committed to locating her and reuniting her with her lawful guardian,” he said.

NT Police said while it was unable to provide “detail on operational procedure”, a spokesman said the force was focusing all its “available resources to locate Grace and Laura”.

“The group is known to police and continues peddle ideologies and false information that have no regard for the mental wellbeing of a five-year-old girl,” the spokesman said.

Police have previously said they were working with officers in other states in case the pair had jumped the Territory border.