TOKYO - A 12-year-old British girl who disappeared while visiting Japan with her family was found safe in Yokohama on Saturday night, about 59 hours after leaving their private lodging in Tokyo, with police saying there was no indication that she had been involved in a crime.
Carmelita Lakdesha Paul had been visiting Japan with her parents and older brother since July 21 and was staying at a private rental property in the Minami-Kamata area of Tokyo's Ota Ward.
Her family last saw her before going to bed. When they woke at around 8:30 a.m. on August 13, they discovered that she was gone, and her mother reported her missing to police shortly before 9:30 a.m.
The girl had left her mobile phone and passport at the accommodation and was believed to have only a few thousand yen with her, increasing concerns about how she would manage on her own.
Security camera footage examined by the Metropolitan Police Department showed her walking near the family's accommodation after leaving. Investigators subsequently traced her journey to Yokohama Station in neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture on the morning of August 13, but initially lost track of her movements after she arrived there.
Police issued a public appeal for information on August 14, releasing details to help locate her as the search continued.
At shortly after 8 p.m. on August 15, the girl went by herself to a police box in Yokohama and was taken into protective custody. She was unharmed.
Police said she told officers that she had spent time at an internet cafe while she was away from her family. Reports citing information about her movements also said she had gone to Yokohama to visit locations connected with anime that interested her.
The girl reportedly told officers that she had begun to miss her parents before deciding to seek help at the police box. She was subsequently reunited with her family.
Police have not disclosed exactly how long she stayed at the internet cafe or the circumstances under which she was able to use the facility. Authorities have said there was no evidence of criminal involvement in her disappearance.
Source: FNN
