The foster mother of William Tyrrell has responded to revelations NSW Police have recommended she potentially be charged over the toddler’s disappearance nearly a decade ago.
The lawyers for William’s foster mother – who cannot be named – today released a statement claiming the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had failed to inform them about the development in the case.
9News exclusively revealed on Tuesday night detectives handed a brief of evidence to the DPP this month recommending the now-58-year-old woman be charged with perverting the course of justice and interfering with a corpse.
The most serious of these charges carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Detectives have been investigating allegations there was a deadly accident at a home in Kendall, on the NSW Mid North Coast, in 2014 and the then-three-year-old’s body was disposed of by his foster mother.
The woman has always denied any involvement in the little boy’s disappearance.
The statement from her lawyers said the woman contacted detectives this morning directly seeking confirmation regarding the brief of evidence and possible criminal proceedings.
“The media was advised that a brief of evidence was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but failed to inform the foster mother of William Tyrrell or her legal representatives that they had done so,” the statement read.
“William’s disappearance has been under investigation for nine years without charges having been laid to date.
“His foster mother had previously been ruled out of any wrongdoing in relation to his disappearance.”
The statement asked the DPP to “expeditiously determine whether charges are to be laid”.
Read Related Also: Top executives' pay rises at more than double the rate of inflation
“The foster mother and her legal representatives call for disclosure of the evidence which Police suggest forms the basis of any criminal proceedings,” the statement added.
“To date, William’s body has never been found.”
The foster mother’s lawyers reiterated that she has always and continues to maintain she had nothing to do with the toddler’s disappearance.
“She desperately urges the Police to resume the investigation into finding out what happened to William,” the statement said.
Investigations have been ongoing into William’s disappearance since 2014 with multiple suspects looked at and then cleared, while an inquest was also put on hold.
A new team of detectives reviewed the case in 2020, which resulted in officers descending on the Kendall property where William was last seen and conducting an extensive search a year later.
There was no trace of any remains found.
Legal expert Sam Macedone told Today it is now up to the DPP to decide whether the detectives’ brief of evidence is “sufficient for someone to be charged”.
“If that’s the case, they will then charge her, and the matter will go before a local court until a committal process,” he said.
Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.
