Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT:
For five days, hundreds of volunteers and police scoured the harsh desert country surrounding Alice Springs, looking for a missing five year old.
A body has now been found they believe belongs to the girl, who is being referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby at the request of the family, as per a family statement delivered to the media by Leanne Liddle, NT Police's executive director of cultural reform.
"To Kumanjayi little baby: Me and Ramsiah miss and love you. I know you are in heaven with the rest of the family, with Jesus and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Me and your brother will meet you one day. We are giving our lives to Jesus. It is going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you. Ramsiah wants to tell you that when he sees you in heaven, he's going to give you the biggest hug ever. Love from Mum and Ramsiah."
Commissioner of the Northern Territory Police Force Martin Dole says the body was found before midday on Thursday [[30 Apr]].
He says police are not yet in a position to provide answers about the cause of death.
"Or how long she may have been deceased. A post-mortem examination will now be conducted, most likely tomorrow, and that will be a critical step in establishing those facts. the criminal investigation is ongoing, and a coronial process will now also begin as a result. There will be now limitations on what we can say publicly."
Meanwhile police have also been searching for 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis, who's alleged to have taken Kumanjayi Little Baby from the Old Timers town camp residence near Alice Springs.
NT Police have said they believe Lewis has remained in the Alice Springs area and is being helped by others.
Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Maley is leading the ongoing investigation.
"I spoke yesterday about the crime scene and items that we'd seized, you know, within that scene. They were transported to Darwin and have been analysed. So, of significance is the pair of child's underwear. We located two DNA profiles on the underwear. One is expected belongs to the little girl, and the other belongs to Jefferson Lewis."
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has spoken with the girl's mother, as well as federal Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who Ms Finocchiaro says is the child's aunty.
She says the entire territory is grieving.
"Around 200 people have worked tirelessly around the clock in searching for this beautiful little girl who went missing five days ago, and for five days, every Territorian has had their heart in their throat waiting for the moment when we got the announcement that she'd been found safe and well, and that news did not come. It's fair to say everyone is feeling this slosh acutely. Everyone is incredibly devastated by the outcome."
[[For culturally appropriate Indigenous support call 13 YARN.. a 24 hour national telephone helpline on 13 92 76 which provides support across a range of issues including mental health. https://www.13yarn.org.au/
If you or someone you know needs support, call Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Embrace Multicultural Mental Health supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.]]
