Advertisement

Father of missing boy Julian Cadman arrives in Barcelona

Malcolm Turnbull has urged Australians to "pray" for little Julian Cadman.

Malcolm Turnbull has urged Australians to "pray" for little Julian Cadman.

Hope is fading for a seven-year-old boy from Sydney caught up in the deadly terrorist attack in Barcelona as his father arrives in Barcelona and authorities begin identifying the dead.

It’s thought seven-year-old Julian Cadman was separated from his mother, Jom Cadman, when a white Fiat van ran down pedestrians on the Las Ramblas boulevard on Thursday, killing 14 people and injuring 130 before fleeing.

His father, Andrew Cadman, arrived in Barcelona this morning (AEST) and was transported to a facility where victims of the attack are being identified. He is being offered psychological support.

Julian’s mother is in a serious but stable condition in a Barcelona hospital. She and her son had flown to Spain to attend a friend’s wedding this weekend.

Families of the victims have begun releasing details of those killed, including Belgian mother-of-two Elke Vanbockrijck, 44, Spanish grandfather Francisco López Rodríguez, 60, Italian father-of-two Bruno Gullotta, 35, Italian man Luca Russo, 25, who was on his honeymoon, Spanish woman Pepita Codina, 75, American construction worker Jared Tucker, 42, and Canadian father Ian Moore Wilson, 53.

Spanish-Argentinian woman Silvina Alejandra Pereyra, 40 and a Portuguese woman in her 70s were also killed in the Barcelona attack, while Ana Maria Suarez, 61, was killed in a later attack in the town of Cambrils.

Ian Moore Wilson, pictured with his wife, Valerie, was one of 14 killed in the attacks.

Spanish police say the driver of Thursday’s van attack may still be alive and on the run and are hunting for Moroccan-born Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, but have announced the extremist cell behind the attack has been “fully dismantled”.

A man previously reported as the key suspect, Moussa Oukabir, 17, was one of five men killed by police after a later attack in Cambrils, west of Barcelona, in the early hours of Friday morning (local time).

The men drove an Audi A3 at speed down a promenade in the resort town but crashed the car, prompting them to get out and attack onlookers with knives and axes.

A woman was critically injured and later died in hospital, while five other people and one police officer were also injured.

Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia honour the dead at a memorial service at the site of the Barcelona attack.

Police shot dead five suspects in the hit-and-run including Moussa Oukabir, El Houssaine Abouyaaqoub, 19, Said Aallaa, 19, Omar Hychami, 21, and Mohamed Hychami, 24.

“I think we should all in our quiet moments say a prayer for that little boy,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull suggested to Australians at a Tasmanian Liberal Party Conference on Saturday.

“All of us as parents know the anguish his father and his whole family is going through.”

Mr Cadman’s boss Scott Bowman told News Corp the father of the boy was a “bloody mess” after learning of the Barcelona attack at 6am Friday while listening to the radio at work.

“He said, ‘I better ring my wife and see if she’s all right’. He couldn’t get on to her,” Mr Bowman said.

A hunt continues for Younes Abouyaaquoub.

“All that we’ve been told is that she is in a serious condition, she has got multiple fractures everywhere — arms, legs, severe facial injuries. She has suspected spinal injuries and possible internal injuries,” Mr Bowman said of Ms Cadman’s condition.

Ms Cadman is among four Australians injured in the attack, including two young men from Victoria who were hit by the car, but received only minor injuries and were quickly discharged from hospital.

The Victorians were identified as Robert Bogdanovski and Anthony Colombini, who both suffered minor injuries in the terrorist attack, the Herald Sun reports.

“The driver swerved and collected Robert and then dragged Anthony down the street,” said Robert’s mother, Vesna Bogdanovski.

Mr Bogdanovski ran with injured feet past bodies to find his mate before the duo sheltered in a shop, the newspaper said.

Both have since been released from hospital.

“I’m so thankful to God that my son is still alive,” Ms Bogdanovski said.

“Robert called his dad and I in the morning and the conversation felt so fast, I didn’t get a chance to really talk to him, I was simply told he was OK and had severe feet bruising.”

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the twin attacks in Barcelona and the coastal town of Cambrils, 120 kilometres away, but the terrorist organisation’s involvement has not been verified.

Police believe an earlier house explosion in Alcanar, 200 kilometres away from Barcelona, is also linked to the attacks and the men had been planning more sophisticated attacks that may have claimed more lives.

-With ABC and AAP

Advertisement
Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter.
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.