Two Girls Went to the Bathroom at a Football Game—They Were Never Seen Again"

"Two Girls Went to the Bathroom at a Football Game—They Were Never Seen Again"

10-year-old Joanne Ratcliffe and 4-year-old Kirste Jane Gordon, were two Australian girls who went missing while attending an Australian rules football match at the Adelaide Oval on 25 August 1973.

Ratcliffe's parents and Gordon's grandmother, who were friends, allowed the two girls to go to the toilet together on two occasions that day. After the girls left at around 3:45 pm, the Ratcliffes began searching from around 4:00. 

After an unsuccessful first attempt, Kathleen Ratcliffe was finally able to get an announcement made on the oval's PA system shortly after the game ended around 5:00 pm.The girls were reported missing to the police at 5:12 pm.

Ratcliffe and Gordon were sighted several times in the 90 minutes after leaving their families, once when trying to attract a stray cat, once with other children, and later, apparently distressed and with an unknown man who was carrying Gordon. 

Witnesses, unaware of the kidnapping, assumed the suspect was simply a parent with his children. The girls disappeared after the last reported sighting on a bridge near the Adelaide Zoo.

Another witness, however, later reported seeing them between North Adelaide railway station and Port Road, Thebarton. 

Only a handful of witnesses saw the abduction. They all provided a similar description of the suspect: a tall, thin-faced man wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

Despite searches, a $5,000 reward, and widespread media attention, the kidnapping quickly became a cold case.

On the fortieth anniversary of the case, Ratcliffe's sister Suzie Wilkinson said, "The case has never been officially closed but I would like further investigations into it. I want investigations into more recent developments. 

In 2014, a $1 million reward was offered by the South Australian government.