By Emma Partridge
- Paramedics, police attend Randwick unit
- Father says he will fight assault charge
- Michelle Levy reunited with family
The father of runaway schoolgirl Michelle Levy says his daughter ate chocolate, read books and slept on a spare mattress but does not know anything about the stranger who allowed her to stay in his eastern suburbs unit for two nights.
And he does not want to. Adam Levy said he wanted to thank the man who had "taken her under his wing" but did not think it was important to ask his 11-year-old daughter what his name was.
Concern: Police Rescue officers arrive at the Randwick unit block to check on the welfare of the man who took in Michelle Levy for two nights.Credit: Emma Partridge
"If he wants to be in touch with us, we welcome the opportunity to thank him but beyond that we are allowing him to go his own way," he told Fairfax Media on Tuesday.
A day after the Woollahra Public School student was found safe and well, police and paramedics were called to the Randwick unit block where she had been staying with a man aged in his 50s.
"Pretty much back to normal": Michelle Levy arrives home on Monday.Credit: Quentin Jones
Police said they were concerned for the man's welfare after he failed to answer his mobile phone on Tuesday.
Maroubra police Inspector Steve Egbers said the man was later found safe but was distressed about a congregation of journalists camped out the front of his red-brick unit on Mulwarree Avenue.
"He was concerned about media being out the front. He's not being investigated and he would like to return to his normal life," Inspector Egbers said.
Just a few hours before emergency services arrived on the street where the stranger lived, Michelle was seen smiling as she left her North Bondi home dressed in her school uniform.
Michelle's parents Adam and Anne Levy: "We haven't asked his name and it doesn't matter." Credit: Nick Moir
Mr Levy was with her and told several journalists he would fight an unrelated common assault charge which had recently been laid against him.
He later told Fairfax Media he did not want to harass the man who had cared for his daughter and did not feel it was necessary to find out who he was.
"We haven't asked his name and it doesn't matter. The important thing is that he did look after her."
The business analyst said he was not upset with the stranger for failing to call police after he found Michelle walking the streets on Saturday night.
"It's clear she was really well cared for, she had a place to sleep, she was well fed and she was eventually encouraged to return home.
"Obviously a lot of people feel he should have been in touch sooner but the most important thing is that she did eventually get in touch with us and he had a hand in encouraging her to do that," he said.
When his daughter returned home on Monday night she explained to her family that she had felt safe with the stranger.
The year 5 student had fled from her home after an argument over a chocolate bar, Mr Levy said.
"Essentially she felt like she had no other option given that she didn't want to come home and didn't want to go to relatives."
Michelle told her parents what she had been doing for the past two days and in turn they explained that thousands of people, including police, had scoured the eastern suburbs for her.
"She said she spent most of Sunday reading, apart from when they went shopping," Mr Levy said.
"She's mentioned a few things they spoke about but essentially he was someone who wanted to help her."
After police had finished interviewing his daughter, he said his family had quickly tried to establish a normal routine again.
"Michelle tidied up some of the mess the police had left in her room, we had dinner and she played a bit and we spoke a bit about where she went and how she came to be with this person," he said.
"Michelle has gone to school and she seems to be quite happy [and] pretty much back to normal."
An Anglicare spokeswoman said the man who had housed Michelle had contacted Anglicare on Monday because he was aware of the organisation's work in the community.
"He knew about our work and how we help people and so he rang the Anglicare office in Bondi, and then the Anglicare worker was responsible for facilitating the reunion [of Michelle with her parents]," she said.
The spokeswoman said the man had indicated that he wanted "to keep a low profile" and did not want to speak publicly about what had happened. Police have interviewed the man and said they did not expect to lay any charges against him.