Three men have been arrested on suspicion of kidnap after a teenager went missing from a party 175 miles from her home. Carmelle Hepi, 13, from Barnsley, was reported missing by her family to South Yorkshire Police just after midnight on Sunday, June 25.
Officers there contacted counterparts from the Metropolitan Police after establishing that she had gone to Barnsley station and then on to Sheffield before travelling to London Kings Cross St Pancras, and would have arrived in London at about 6.09pm on Saturday.
The investigation was transferred to the Met on Sunday and investigating officers said enquires so far lead them to believe that she went to Watling Street, in the SE15 area, on Sunday night. There, she went to a birthday party with other teenagers at around 10pm before leaving with another group of people in a car at around 11pm.
Police said she is also believed to have been to addresses in Croydon, Lewisham and Purfleet in Essex. Officers in London said they were in regular contact with Carmelle's family in Barnsley and had spoken to the people who were at the party.
They said that, while "there is no information at this time to suggest that Carmelle has come to serious harm, due to her age, vulnerabilities, and concerns around who she may be associating with, the investigation to locate her is being led by detectives from Specialist Crime".
Three men, all aged in their 20s, have been arrested on suspicion of kidnap. They remained in custody on Wednesday afternoon. Officers said they believed Carmelle could now be in the company of an older men. It is not known yet where they might be.
An image of Carmelle taken in a car, believed to have been taken in the Peckham area on Sunday, was shared on social media by police on Tuesday. Footage has also been released from the same day showing her entering the Primark shop in High Street, Croydon, at around 4.45pm before leaving at around 5.05pm, as the store was closing. It shows her in the pink and white jacket she could still be wearing now.
Addressing Carmelle directly, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Chris Wood said: "Carmelle, I want you to know that you are not in any trouble whatsoever. Our one and only focus is making sure that you are safe and well. Please call 999 and speak to us, or go to a police station, and we will get you back home safely.
"Your family are desperately worried about you and while we're supporting them as best we can, they need to know that you're OK and to come home. They cannot rest until you’re back with them."
Det Ch Insp Wood added: "My team are working round the clock, supported by our colleagues at South Yorkshire Police and local officers. As well as the arrests made, we have spoken to multiple people, searched a number of addresses and officers are conducting extensive CCTV enquiries, along with various other leads we are pursuing.
"Members of the public can help us locate Carmelle. If you have seen Carmelle, or you know her and have information about where she is or has been, it is imperative that you contact us. It doesn't matter if you're a friend who has heard or seen something in passing - you won't be in trouble. What matters is that you contact as you could have significant information to help us find a missing teenage girl."
Anyone with information should call 101 or tweet @MetCC, stating reference 3258/25JUN23. Anyone who sees Carmelle should call 999 immediately.
