Qld: Missing Chinese girl phones home: police

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2008
Qld: Missing Chinese girl phones home: police

By Rosemary Desmond

BRISBANE, Feb 11 AAP - A missing 14-year-old Chinese girl who disappeared in Brisbane
more than a week ago has called her mother in China, police say.

Can Zhou arrived in Queensland late last month as part of a tour group from China on
a two-week study tour.

She was last seen at 7.30am (AEST) on Saturday, February 2, leaving an address at Brighton
on Brisbane's northern bayside, where she was billeted.

Can speaks very limited English and has no known links to people in Queensland.

Queensland police today said they spoke to Can Zhou's mother yesterday. She told them
her daughter had called her on Saturday night.

"Although her mother said Can Zhou sounded safe and well, she was unable to provide
us with any information as to her daughter's exact whereabouts," North Brisbane District
Superintendent Col Campbell said.

"There is no evidence at this time to suggest Can Zhou is in any immediate danger and
we believe she is most likely being looked after by someone in the south-east corner of
Queensland,

"However, police still need to locate the girl to verify this."

The study tour group, which arrived on January 31, departed Australia to return to
China yesterday.

Can Zhou's visa is current until February 21.

Police have appealed for anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact police.

"It is very concerning to us that this young girl is missing in an unfamiliar country,
but we know that someone can tell us where she is," Supt Campbell said.

Can Zhou is described as being 120cm tall, with a slim build, black hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing a white knee-length skirt and black and white striped shirt
with a white short-sleeved jacket, blue and black slip-on sandals and a dark-coloured
handbag.

AAP rad/pjo/jl/cdh

KEYWORD: GIRL

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.