This was published 2 years ago
Police seek AVO against William Tyrrell’s foster parents as new search begins
By Sally Rawsthorne and Josh Dye
NSW Police have sought an apprehended violence order against the foster parents of William Tyrrell on behalf of a child linked to the missing boy as police begin a new search on the Mid North Coast sparked by new information.
The couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are scheduled to appear in court next week for the AVO.
They did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
William Tyrrell vanished in 2014 dressed in his Spider-Man suit.
Police would not comment on the AVO matter or how it came to their attention.
In what has become one of Australia’s most baffling cases, the three-year-old foster child vanished from his foster grandmother’s Mid North Coast front yard in 2014.
Despite a $1 million reward, more than 600 persons of interest and hundreds of police searching the town of Kendall, he has never been found and nobody has been charged over his disappearance and suspected murder.
Police search dense bushland for missing boy William Tyrrell with cadaver dog Tilly on Monday.Credit: Lindsay Moller
In September, William’s foster parents lashed out at a report in a Sydney newspaper that claimed investigators were focused on a new person of interest.
“Once again we are forced to watch others objectify William for personal gain ... we’ve watched people lose sight of the tragic reality that William was a precious, innocent little boy who was taken from those he loved and who love him deeply,” they wrote in a Facebook post. “To publish unverified claims, without consideration to the hurt that articles of this nature cause is disrespectful and devastating.”
The latest search, sparked by credible new claims about a person of interest, will focus on a dense patch of bushland about a kilometre from where he was last seen.
“We are looking for the remains of William Tyrrell,” Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett said on Monday, adding the strike force would focus on three areas in Kendall.
On Monday, Strike Force Rosann detectives began a “high intensity” search that began with scouring the area in a grid search and will on Tuesday involve chopping down trees.
Police expect to be in the town for several weeks.
In June, on what would have been William’s 10th birthday, detectives pledged to ensure “no stone is left unturned” in solving the mystery, in what has long been regarded as one of Australia’s most baffling missing persons cases.
In October last year, the police’s lead investigator into William’s disappearance, Detective Chief Inspector David Laidlaw – who replaced detective chief inspector Gary Jubelin – told an inquest that police would never give up on finding out what happened to William.
Mr Jubelin was sensationally stood down for illegally recording a conversation with a person of interest.
The matter has been referred to the Coroner, but the inquest is yet to return any findings.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.