The family of Cheryl Grimmer, a UK-born toddler who vanished in Australia 55 years ago, has demanded the truth after a New South Wales MP used parliamentary privilege to name a man previously accused of her murder. The man, known by the pseudonym 'Mercury', had been given an ultimatum by the family to meet them by Wednesday midnight or have his identity revealed.
Cheryl disappeared from outside a shower block at Fairy Meadow beach in the Illawarra region on 12 January 1970. In 2018, Mercury faced trial but it collapsed after a judge ruled a 1971 police interview, in which he confessed, was inadmissible as he was 17 and still a child under NSW law.
On Thursday, Jeremy Buckingham of the NSW Legalise Cannabis party revealed Mercury's identity in parliament, reading out the confession. The family said in a statement: 'We are not seeking to harm Mercury or his family. What we want now is the truth.' They hope the revelation will prompt witnesses to come forward so Mercury can be questioned in court.
The NSW Attorney General, Michael Daley, described the case as 'heart-wrenching' but declined to comment on individuals not charged or convicted. The man was arrested in 2018 but released a year later due to insufficient evidence without the confession.
