Child abuse investigators no longer believe a two-year-old girl was sexually assaulted at a play centre in Western Sydney.
Key points:
Police were called to the Lollipop Playland and Cafe in Penrith just after midday on Sunday after the toddler was found in a storeroom.
Her panicked mother had been searching for 20 minutes before another child found the girl crying with blood on her clothes.
The girl was taken to the Children's Hospital at Westmead after paramedics were concerned about her injuries being consistent with a sexual assault.
"Following a review of CCTV footage and a forensic examination of the location, there is no evidence at this time to confirm initial reports that a sexual offence has occurred within the play centre," a NSW Police spokesperson confirmed.
The ABC understands detectives are waiting on DNA tests before they completely rule out the possibility of a sexual assault, but it's believed the injuries are more likely the result of misadventure.
During an initial appeal for information, Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec said investigators would "keep an open mind" and "treat this at its worst".
"The child was obviously very distressed. All parents would be concerned, firstly, that the child went missing, and finding your child in a distressed state," he said.
But Detective Kerlatec acknowledged the struggle to get concrete information out of the two-year-old girl, given her age.
"She can't tell us a lot at that tender age. But we're asking with anyone who was at the centre, anyone who might have seen or heard something, to contact Crime Stoppers," he said.
What helped the investigation was that the play centre was hosting several birthday parties at the time, meaning all guests were required to print their names on a COVID-19 contact sheet.
Police have praised the owners of the Lollipop Playland and Cafe for cooperating with the investigation.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA3LTI5L25zdy1zeWRuZXktcGxheS1jZW50cmUtdG9kZGxlci1saWtlbHktbm90LXNleHVhbGx5LWFzc2F1bHRlLzEyNTA0NTQ20gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyNTA0NTQ2?oc=5
2020-07-29 07:42:00Z
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