Australian man charged over girl taken from outback camp

Bodycam footage shows a security officer carrying 4-year-old Cleo Smith, who went missing from an Australian outback campsite more than two weeks ago and was found in a locked house on November 3, as she is being rescued, in Carnarvon, Australia, November 3, 2021. Western Australia Police Force/Handout via REUTERS

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian police charged a 36-year-old man on Thursday with abducting a four-year-old girl from an outback campsite 18 days before she was found safe in a locked house.

The man was twice taken to hospital for self-inflicted injuries before being interviewed and charged with various offences related to the abduction, police in Western Australia state said in a statement.