Cheryl Grimmer family devastated as DPP upholds case abandonment
The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions upheld its decision to abandon the prosecution. The case involved three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer. She disappeared in 1970 from Wollongong.
Cheryl disappeared from Fairy Meadow Beach on January 12, 1970. A man known by the name Mercury was charged in the case.
The case fell apart in 2019. The NSW Supreme Court ruled that his statements to police could not be used.
He was 17 years old at the time. Rules to protect young people giving statements were not followed.
Justice Robert Hulme said the interview did not meet the law's standards. The family sent more than 50 detailed arguments asking for another look.
The DPP concluded there was no real chance of winning an appeal. Cheryl's brother Ricki Nash said the review was too narrow.
It only asked if the original ruling could be appealed. It did not fully reconsider the case.
He noted that Mercury's statements had specific details about Cheryl. These details raised questions about how he could know them.
- January 12, 1970
- Disappearance date
- 3 years old
- Cheryl's age
- 17 years old
- Mercury's age at interview
- more than 50 detailed arguments
- Family submissions
Why it mattersA missing child case that remained unsolved for many years is now closed without prosecution. The family still has no answers. This shows the difference between following the law and giving justice to victims.
AustraliaA long-standing NSW mystery reaches finality, affecting the victim's family and reflecting how Australian courts handle decades-old cases with procedural challenges.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 8 d ago
