Five years ago, Cleo Smith was shockingly kidnapped while on a family camping trip and now, her mum Ellie has shared a heartwarming new pic showing that the nearly nine-year-old is thriving.
A new photo shows Cleo, her mum and little sister Isla smiling widely for the camera.
Sweetly, Cleo and Ellie are wearing matching sporting team polo shirts.
In a new update given by 60 Minutes, Cleo is reportedly enjoying life with her school friends, her swim club, and her new-found passion, gymnastics.
But a child psychologist warns that behind the smiles, Cleo is likely still haunted by her harrowing ordeal.
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“She’d remember parts of it,” says child psychologist Clare Rowe.
FRAGMENTED MEMORIES
Cleo was just four years old when she was abducted by Terence Kelly in the early hours of October 16, 2021 – and Australia was on tenterhooks for 18 days before her miraculous rescue.
At the time Cleo was snatched, she was sleeping in another section of her family’s tent at a campground near Quobba Blow Holes, about 75km from their home in Carnarvon, WA
Her mum Ellie, her stepdad Jake Gliddon and her little sister Isla were all sound asleep in the tent, and did not hear Kelly take Cleo.
Ellie and Jake first realised Cleo was missing just two hours later – and instantly knew their precious little girl did not just wander off.
“There was no drag marks from the sleeping bag, and we knew she couldn’t have carried it.” Ellie recalled.
“We were hoping she would be just around the corner… it was just a nightmare. Deep down we knew she did not walk away, and she was taken.”
After an exhaustive search, Cleo was finally found by police on 3 November locked inside a room in Kelly’s home, which was just minutes away from Cleo’s family home in Carnarvon.
“When the police called and said ‘we have her’, I was like ‘where are you?’ and they were like the hospital in Carnarvon,” Ellie tearfully says.
“There was no way I thought it was anyone in Carnarvon that did it. We grew up there, I was born there, and someone that lived there was the person that did it.”
In April 2023, 40-year-old Kelly pleaded guilty to abducting Cleo and was sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison, with a non-parole period of 11 years.
LASTING IMPACT
As for how the crime may affect Cleo in the long-run, Clare says Cleo may be more vigilant round danger – and could potentially develop anxiety when separated from her parents or placed in new environments.
“The re-emergence of these concerns can happen across a child’s development, child might go completely unaffected for years,” Clare explains.
“But as they become older they ask questions about the event and begin to understand the gravity of what actually happened, and what could’ve happened if the event had gotten worse.”
As Cleo was so young when she was abducted, Clare believes Ellie and Jake might feel the effects of the crime more than Cleo.
“I think often parents carry the longest lasting psychological burden,” says Clare.
“They would understandably be hypervigilant and overprotective after such a harrowing experience, and would need support from extended family or a professional in order to not pass that anxiety down to Cleo.”
But it appears Ellie and Jake are doing the best thing for their soon-to-be nine-year-old, which Clare explains is the best thing for her.
“It sounds as if she’s a student, a friend, an athlete and a sibling wh has a good future ahead and will not be defined by this single event,” she says.
“Many children who experience traumatic events very early in life can go on to lead healthy, well-adjusted lives. But equally, some children may experience difficulties that can emerge at later points in their development.”
As for Cleo’s future, Clare says it’s important that Ellie and Jake acknowledge the trauma that Cleo’s abduction caused to continue healing.
“One of the greatest risks here is we’ve got a child who’s known primarily for the worst thing that’s ever happened to her, and we want children to have an opportunity to be more than that,” Claire says.
“We want to ensure it doesn’t become a defining feature in her identity.”
