The lives of a Sydney family forever changed in 2005 when their 19-month-old daughter, Rahma El-Dennaoui, disappeared.
She mysteriously disappeared from her home, leaving behind so many unanswered questions.
Despite the years that have passed, Rahma's family still searches for answers.
They continue to seek for closure in their daughters mysterious dissappearance.
Meanwhile, authorities are still struggling to unravel the mystery of her disappearance.
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| Rahma El-Dennaoui |
A Family’s Joy Shattered: Rahma’s Background
Rahma El-Dennaoui was born in 2004, bringing joy and happiness to her large, loving family.
Her parents described Rahma as a lively and playful toddler, saying she was the heart of their home.
Her parents, Hosayn and Alyaa, shared that her favorite words were "mummy," "daddy," and "oh no!"—often spoken in both Arabic and English.
Rahma took her first steps at just seven months old and continued to grow into a happy child.
Her disappearance has left a void in the El-Dennaoui family that has yet to be filled.
"I have 10 children, but one of them is missing," Rahma’s father, Hosayn, said.
Despite the years that have passed since that devastating day, she remains in his thoughts.
"I can feel her close to me, but I don’t know where," he said.
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| Rahma El-Dennaoui |
A Normal Day That Ended in a Nightmare: Rahma's Disappearance
Thursday, November 10, 2005, was a typical day for the El-Dennaoui family.
The temperature reached a scorching 40°C, making it difficult for little Rahma to sleep.
Around 2 a.m., she finally stopped crying and settled down to sleep.
Rahma was then placed in a double bed with her two older sisters for her to sleep better.
This bed was under a window in the front room of their home in Lurnea, Sydney.
By 8 a.m. that morning, Rahma was gone.
Her sisters discovered her disappearance when they woke up and found her missing from the bed they had shared.
What was even more alarming was the large U-shaped cut found in the flyscreen above the window.
This indicated that someone had reached in to take Rahma while she slept.
From that moment, the nightmare began for the El-Dennaoui family.
Police immediately launched a large-scale search, involving air and land units.
The search extended to a 1.5-kilometer radius around the family’s home, with authorities draiing nearby pools and creeks.
Sadly, no sign of Rahma El-Dennaoui was found.
Extensive forensic examinations confirmed that the flyscreen had been cut with a sharp object.
Despite this, the investigation found no substantial clues.
The question remained: How could a child simply disappear from her home without a trace?
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| Rahma's parents |
Dark Theories and Unanswered Questions
As with any missing persons case, several theories emerged about what may have happened to Rahma.
1) Abduction: The most chilling scenario considered by investigators is that Rahma may have been abducted by a pedophile.
Alternatively, some believe that she could have been taken by a childless person longing for a child.
Rahma El-Dennaoui's case has often been compared to that of Madeleine McCann, another high-profile missing child investigation.
This comparison suggests that Rahma might still be alive somewhere, possibly under a new identity.
2) One theory, investigated by police, is that Rahma El-Dennaoui was smuggled out of the country soon after her abduction.
At the time of her disappearance, around 3,000 young girls had left Australia.
Some people believe Rahma could have been among them.
Authorities looked into the possibility that Rahma’s abductors used a fake passport to take her overseas.
However, this theory presented its own challenges.
Considering Rahma's young age, passport photos could have been taken at any time during her first three years.
This makes it difficult to match her exact appearance at the time of her disappearance.
International inquiries focused on Lebanon, the homeland of Rahma’s extended family.
Several interviews were conducted in the family’s villages, but there was no evidence to suggest that any relatives were involved in her abduction.
The lack of forensic evidence, such as blood or clothing, only deepened the mystery.
3) Staged Abduction: Another disturbing theory came to light during a 2012 inquest into Rahma’s disappearance.
Secret phone taps of the El-Dennaoui family's extended members revealed disturbing conversations.
These conversations hinted at a possible staged abduction.
In one phone call, Rahma’s aunt, Rouba Dennaoui, was heard discussing her husband, Ahmed.
She said that he was unaccounted for during the crucial hours after Rahma's disappearance.
No solid evidence linked the family to Rahma El-Dennaoui's abduction.
However, these intercepted calls led to more questions about what really happened that night.
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| Rahma El-Dennaoui's family |
A Community’s Search for Answers: Ongoing Efforts
Despite years of investigation, no definitive answers have been found, and Rahma's case remains unsolved.
However, the search for answers has never stopped.
In 2012, the NSW Government increased the reward for information about Rahma’s whereabouts from $100,000 to $250,000.
Authorities hope this larger reward will encourage someone to come forward with the crucial detail needed to solve the case.
Strike Force Kilt, the special unit tasked with investigating Rahma's disappearance, has been relentless in their pursuit of justice.
Detective Superintendent Michael Willing, Commander of the Homicide Squad, expressed the ongoing commitment to finding Rahma.
“There is someone out there who knows what happened to Rahma, and I hope the $250,000 reward will encourage them to provide that detail to police,” he stated.
He called for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
Although nearly two decades have passed since Rahma went missing, her family and the police refuse to give up hope.
In a final attempt to keep Rahma’s name alive, her family named their tenth child, born in 2008, Rahma.
This was a tribute to their missing daughter.
The disappearance of Rahma El-Dennaoui continues to haunt her family, but the possibility of Rahma’s return keeps them going.
Someone, somewhere, knows what happened to Rahma.
Until that person comes forward, the search for answers continues.
For information regarding the disappearance of Rahma El-Dennaoui, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
In another unsolved mystery, the quiet town of Nambour, Queensland, was rocked by the disappearance of three women between 1998 and 1999.
Click here for more details on the case.
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