Coalition frontbencher Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has confirmed she is the aunt of the missing five-year-old girl in the Northern Territory as the search to find her enters day five.
Sharon Granites has been missing since Saturday night, when she was put to bed some time before 11pm at a house in the Old Timers Camp where she and her mother had been visiting.
She was last seen nearby holding hands with Jefferson Lewis at 11.30pm with police yesterday confirming they believe he led the little girl away from the camp.
Price told Sky News Sharon’s family and the local community were shattered.
“That’s incredibly frightening and very disturbing for the family as well,” she said.
“You know, I’m holding on to hope that she is still alive and I’m very grateful for the volunteers, the police, the Aboriginal trackers, everyone that’s been involved in the search for Sharon.”
Price confirmed Sharon was her niece.
The Liberal politician also said she was helping police with their investigations to find Sharon and Lewis, and appealed for anyone who knows their whereabouts to contact authorities.
“There is concern that there are people that do know the whereabouts of Jefferson Lewis,” she said.
“Someone like that can’t just disappear into thin air and finding him, I believe, is the clue to being able to find Sharon and I would urge people to come forward.
Price was speaking after Sharon’s family made a heartfelt appeal to her suspected abductor for her safe return.
Sharon’s grandfather Robin told The Sydney Morning Herald the family were praying for her safe return, and appealed for Australians to keep their missing child in their hearts.
“There was nothing I could do – just cry,” he said.
“She was a really nice, little, good, quiet girl.”
Robin said he discovered his granddaughter was missing while watching the Anzac Day memorial nearby.
“I heard it was my granddaughter who was being snatched up and [had been] taken off by a man from prison,” he said.
Lewis had been released from jail just six days before Sharon went missing, charged for violent offences including assault and domestic violence.
Police found the items of clothing on the riverbank at the back of the Old Timers Camp where Sharon was last seen on Sunday, but have only just revealed their findings.
Northern Territory Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Malley said the shirt found by police is Lewis’ “distinctive” yellow and black shirt captured on police bodycam footage when officers visited the Old Timers Camp earlier on Saturday for an unrelated mental health call out.
A doona cover was also found alongside the shirt and children’s underwear.
Robin appealed through the media for Lewis to “listen” to him.
“I want you to send that baby back. She is our baby. It’s our kid … she is just too small. Please, can you bring her back? We want to be back safe.”
He appealed for anyone who spotted the pair to contact him or police as soon as possible.
Robin also said Sharon had trouble communicating at times.
“She didn’t have really have a voice … she’s just been using a hand signal,” he said.
Local MP and Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Speaker Robyn Lambley told Today this morning the whole community had been mobilised in the search.
“We have all been out there looking for her … the whole town is all about finding her.”
She said the small community of Old Timers Camp was a “notoriously hard place to live”.
The widening manhunt has also reached interstate, with Western Australian police contacting Lewis’ wife and children in Bolga, who police say are cooperating with authorities.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)
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