Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
ABC News
ABC News
National

Australian Federal Police join NT Police in search for abducted girl Grace Hughes

Police are appealing for public information to find Grace. (Supplied: NT Police)

A multi-agency taskforce has been established to search for missing five-year-old girl, Grace Hughes, with police claiming a group peddling "ideologies and false information" abducted her. 

Police allege Grace was taken without permission by her mother Laura Hinks, also known as Laura Bolt, during a supervised parental visit in the Darwin suburb of Berrimah on the afternoon of August 7.

The pair hasn't been seen since. 

However, another Darwin woman, 50-year-old Juliet Oldroyd, was on Saturday charged with child abduction in relation to the disappearance of Grace. 

A taskforce has now been set up to intensify search efforts, which will include the Australian Federal Police, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and other agencies.

In a statement, Northern Territory Police said "the taskforce is committed to locating her and reuniting her with her lawful guardian".

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Jon Beer said a group of people had claimed to have abducted Grace and "continues to peddle ideologies and false information that have no regard for the mental wellbeing of a five-year-old girl".

"The conduct of this group is despicable," he said.

Laura Hinks and her daughter Grace Hughes remain missing.  (Supplied: NT Police)

"NT Police will continue to target this group and any other persons assisting the ongoing harbouring of Grace.

"Police will use every power available to them to locate Grace. Anyone who is found to have harboured those who abducted Grace will face significant charges before the courts."

Detective Superintendent Kirsten Engels told the ABC this afternoon that police were "still getting a fuller picture on what [the group] stand for".

"But that's secondary to the fact that we know they've taken her and we know that they continue to hide her," she said.

Detective Superintendent Engels said police were continuing to investigate the possibility Grace and her mother could be interstate, and were working with police in other states and territories as part of their efforts to find her.

She said police did not believe the girl was at risk of physical harm, but noted she had been removed under "traumatic circumstances".

Kirsten Engels says police are following every lead to find Grace Hughes. (ABC News: Felicity James)

"We don't know exactly where she is.... [but] we know that there [is] a group that are saying that they're hiding her," she said.

"They know where she is, and they could give us that information right now, and we're asking them to do so."

NT Police Minister Kate Worden this afternoon said she had "every confidence" in the police effort to find Grace.  

"They are pulling out all the stops and following every single lead," she said.

"It is critical and it's about the safety of a child."

Ms Oldroyd, who was charged with child abduction, faced Darwin Local Court on Monday, represented by her husband and flanked by a group of supporters. 

NT Police has urged anyone inside this group or members of the public that have any knowledge of Grace's abduction to come forward and contact police on 131 444 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.