NEW CLAIMS
Shock twist in case of ‘Australia’s Madeleine McCann’ as chilling new details emerge 8 years after boy, 3, vanished
CHILLING new details have emerged eight years after a three-year-old boy vanished in a mystery case dubbed "Australia's Madeleine McCann".
Little William Tyrrell disappeared in broad daylight in 2014 in one of Australia's most high-profile missing child cases.
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Eight years later, no trace of him has ever been found and no one has been charged.
William disappeared while playing with his sister on September 12, 2014.
He was in the care of foster parents who took him on a visit to the coastal town of Kendall, New South Wales, on the day.
His parents went inside to make a cup of tea while William and his sister played hide and seek outside.
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When they returned five minutes later the toddler had vanished.
It's now emerged William's foster mother kicked a girl, hit her with a wooden spoon and suggested if a child defecated on the floor, she would rub her face in it, police will allege.
William’s foster father is also accused of “grabbing” the girl’s neck, according to .
The explosive allegations have been made public after a court order was lifted following an appeal by lawyers representing the media.
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William’s foster parents - who cannot be identified - were charged with the alleged assault of the girl in November last year.
The youngster's foster mother has also been charged with stalking, intimidation and another assault charge.
His foster father also faces charges of stalking and intimidation.
William's foster mother will appear in court in Sydney on June 30.
Cops said she has been named as a person of interest in the young boy's disappearance - but she denies any wrongdoing.
Her car, which belonged to William's foster grandmother at the time he vanished, was seized for examination in November last year.
Detectives also searched a second-storey balcony following a theory the boy may have fallen to his death.
Forensics specialists in Kendall, New South Wales, also searched for human remains in the garden of William's foster grandparents.
Photos released showed officers using giant sieves to filter through soil, which a forensic expert said was typical when looking for human remains.
A police investigation into William's disappearance at the time flagged two suspicious cars seen parked on the street earlier that day.
At the time, William's biological parents remained unaware for hours as their son was reported missing and a dramatic search for the three-year-old began.
The case has been compared to the mystery of Madeleine McCann, who was also three when she vanished from her parents' holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007.
In September last year, cops revealed they had a new suspect in the long-running mystery.
Detective Chief Inspector David Laidlaw, said further information had come to light after a review of materials gathered by investigators since William's disappearance.
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He said: “As our team continue to conduct inquiries and explore all avenues of investigation, our focus has been identifying if anything has been missed, or if there are any details – no matter how small – that need to be clarified.
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“Police remain committed to finding out what happened to William, but our most important job here is to bring him home for both families.”
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