Cleo Smith’s family has shared a miraculous update about their little girl three years after she was kidnapped.
Cleo made international headlines when she was pulled from her sleeping bag while sleeping alongside her mother, stepfather and little sister inside a tent at the Blowholes camp, about 960 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia, on October 16, 2021.
A massive police operation was launched to help Cleo, then four years old, leading to her dramatic rescue 18 days later.
Cleo, now seven years old, has settled into a normal life after the horrific kidnapping and intense media scrutiny.
A collection of photos, shared on Instagram on Wednesday by 60 Minutes Australia, showed a beaming Cleo enjoying life with her family.
One photo showed Cleo smiling alongside her mother, Ellie Smith, stepfather Jake Gliddon and little sister, Isla.
The snaps revealed happy moments from Cleo’s life, including a family fishing trip, Isla’s first birthday, her seventh birthday and the sisters’ first day of school in 2024.
“Cleo Smith is now a little girl. The seven-year-old is enjoying life in Western Australia, loves school and is a big sister to Isla,” wrote 60 Minutes Australia.
Cleo Smith’s family have shared happy snaps of their seven-year-old daughter adjusting to a normal life after being kidnapped in 2021.
The smiling seven-year-old was photographed with her mother, stepfather and little sister (pictured)
In the picture, Cleo and her little sister Isla.
The photos showed Cleo and Isla on a fishing trip.
Cleo seems to share a very special bond with her younger sister.
The photos received an overwhelming response from social media users around the world, with many sharing well wishes for the family and for Cleo.
“It’s so beautiful to see the family so happy and healthy,” one person wrote.
“God bless you, I’m so glad you’re living your best life,” another person commented.
A third person wrote: “So good to see her happy! I followed her story from Argentina. Keep enjoying life, Cleo!”
Cleo was reunited with her family after police officers rescued her from a home 18 days after her abduction.
Police broke down the locked door of a house in Carnarvon – only 3 km from her family home – at 12:46 pm on November 3, 2021, the little girl was released.
Cleo and her sister Isla photographed before the first day of school.
The Smith sisters enjoy a block of ice after a color run
Cleo, then four, was rescued from her home (pictured) 18 days after she was abducted from her sleeping bag while inside a tent with her family at a campsite in Western Australia.
Terrence Darrell Kelly (left) held Cleo captive in a bedroom at a house in Carnarvon. Kelly was sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison.
Cleo was held captive by Terrence Darrell Kelly and locked alone in a bedroom in the house.
The four-year-old was found in a bedroom playing with toys, and was immediately asked her name three times before she finally replied: “M-my name is Cleo.”
Terence Kelly was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of forcibly taking a child under the age of 16.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 5, 2023, to 13 and a half years in prison. The sentence was retroactive to his arrest in November 2021.
Kelly will be 48 when he is eligible for parole in May 2032.
