New legislation – called “Cheryl’s Law” – has been proposed in Australia in the wake of anger over the disappearance of British toddler Cheryl Grimmer back in 1970
Politicians in Australia are proposing a brand new “Cheryl’s Law” after outrage following the disappearance of a British toddler.
A 17-year-old boy allegedly admitted to killing three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer back in 1970, but his confession was ruled inadmissible because of his age and the fact an adult wasn’t with him.
Now there are demands for a change in legislation to ensure this can’t happen again. If successful, it will be called “Cheryl’s law,” MP Jeremy Buckingham told the Mirror.He said: “We are going to propose “Cheryl’s law” in the New South Wales parliament after the DPP’S review into the case concludes in June/July.” Cheryl disappeared from Fairy Meadow Beach in New South Wales and her body has never been found.
The case appeared to reach a breakthrough when a man reportedly provided a detailed confession to the killing. However, the Australian legal system dealt the family a final, crushing blow. A judge ruled the evidence inadmissible because the suspect was a minor at the time and was questioned without a parent or guardian present. Without the confession, the case collapsed and the suspect walked free.New South Wales MP Buckingham, who has fought alongside the family to break the silence, described the situation as a “travesty” and a “catastrophic failure of the criminal justice system.”
In a new powerful call for reform he said: “I and the Grimmers believe a known murderer is free in the community. Today is about putting Cheryl, the Grimmers, justice and community safety first.”
The proposed legislation would overhaul how such evidence is handled in the most serious cases. The new law would aim to grant courts the discretion to weigh a suspect’s voluntary admissions against the gravity of the crime. This would effectively lowering the rigid procedural barriers that currently prevent a minor’s out-of-court confession from being used as evidence before a jury.
For Cheryl’s brother, Ricki Nash, who has spent his life campaigning for his sister, the law represents a final hope for the truth. He has argued that for too long, the system has prioritised the rights of the accused over the rights of a murdered child. If passed, “Cheryl’s Law” will ensure that when a killer speaks, the legal system is finally allowed to listen.
Ricki said: “I find it deeply upsetting that crucial evidence, evidence obtained properly and lawfully can be set aside. Applying standards retrospectively to exclude material of this importance does not feel like justice; it feels like a system “failing to uphold it.
“What is especially distressing is that this evidence comes from an individual who has openly confessed to the murder of a child, my little sister, Cheryl. To disregard such evidence gives the impression that the system is protecting the perpetrator rather than seeking truth and accountability for Cheryl.
“As her eldest brother, I cannot accept that outcome. Our family has lived with this loss for decades, and all we have ever wanted is a fair and thorough pursuit of justice. Excluding evidence of this nature does not reflect that. It only deepens our grief and our sense that Cheryl is being let down again.”
The haunting mystery of Cheryl has tormented both Britain and Australia for over five decades. In January 1970, the Grimmer family – who had recently emigrated from Bristol in search of a new life – were enjoying a summer day at Fairy Meadow Beach in New South Wales.
Cheryl was with her mother, Carole, and her three older brothers when she was sent to a shower block to get changed.
In the few heart-stopping minutes she was out of her mother’s sight; Cheryl vanished. Witnesses later recalled the chilling sight of a man carrying a blonde child toward the car park, but despite a massive search effort that gripped the nation, she was never seen again.| Her parents passed away decades later; their lives overshadowed by the agony of never knowing their daughter’s fate.
