Missing Manitoba children found in New Brunswick

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This article was published 13/09/2022 (1129 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba RCMP say two children missing from Hartney have been found with their father in New Brunswick.

“Chyanne Bailey and Brock Bailey have been safely located with their father in Bathurst, New Brunswick. The children will be coming back to Manitoba. At this time, there are no charges. The investigation is continuing. (Manitoba RCMP) thanks the public and the media for their assistance,” RCMP said on social media.

The two were reported missing to RCMP on Monday morning by their mother after they’d gone to their father’s home after school Thursday. They were supposed to be returned to their mother Saturday.

RCMP advised the public the children were missing on Monday evening.

RCMP said Tuesday they hadn’t issued an Amber Alert for the two children because the case doesn’t meet the criteria.

Chyanne, 12, and her brother Brock, 10, had not been seen or heard from. Their father, Michael Bailey, had not been heard from since Friday and had failed to show up at work Monday, RCMP said.

When police issued a public appeal for tips at around 8:30 p.m. Monday, its Facebook post was bombarded with comments from people asking why an Amber Alert wasn’t issued and why a photo of Michael Bailey wasn’t released.

Pictures of the children were provided to the media and shared on social media.

Manitoba RCMP spokeswoman Tara Seel said police haven’t put out an Amber Alert because the criteria hasn’t been met.

For one to be sent, she said, the missing person or people must be under 18, and police must have confirmed an abduction has taken place with officers believing the child or children are in danger of serious injury or death.

Police must also have sufficient information to share with the public that could assist in locating the child or children, and a suspect.

The alert must be issued within a reasonable amount of time after the abduction so that the abducted person could be returned or a suspect apprehended before fleeing.

“The only criteria met at this time is that the children are under 18,” Seel wrote in an email Tuesday morning. “We are investigating this fully, and officers are working around the clock to locate these children and their father.

“We have communicated with the public through social media, and the media to provide information about the missing people in an attempt to locate them.”

Police declined to comment on the time that elapsed between Saturday afternoon, when the children weren’t returned to their mother, and Monday morning, when the missing persons report was received at the Boissevain detachment.

“We cannot speak to the reasons someone does or does not report something to police,” Seel wrote. “We can say when we received the report, which was Sept. 12, 2022, at 9:21 a.m. Once we received the report, a missing persons investigation was launched immediately.”

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching