Family members and Sikh community supporters gathered outside Wallan Secondary College on Tuesday, seeking contact with 15-year-old Krishleen Kaur after a relative said police had located her and advised the family she was safe.

The gathering followed appeals circulated after Krishleen left with two friends on Friday, 23 October. While those appeals described her as missing, a woman identifying herself as her maternal aunt told The Australia Today that police had since found her.

Victoria Police had not provided a statement to The Australia Today at the time of publication. The account of Krishleen being located, and the circumstances surrounding her departure, have not been independently confirmed.

Manvir Kaur, who identified herself as the sister of Krishleen’s mother, said the teenager left with two girlfriends at about 2.30 pm on Friday. She said the family had not had direct contact with Krishleen since then.

Manvir said she regularly helped with school drop-offs and pick-ups because Krishleen’s mother was a single parent.

The Australia Today was also given to understand that Krishleen had been suspended from school on Friday, prompting Manvir to arrive before the usual school finishing time to collect her. According to that account, Krishleen had previously been suspended on several occasions for alleged misconduct.

It remains unclear whether any disciplinary action was connected to Krishleen’s decision to leave.

Manvir said that when she could not find Krishleen at school pick-up, she contacted an assistant principal, who allegedly suggested the teenager might have gone to the shops. The school has not provided a response to that account.

According to Manvir, Krishleen’s mother contacted Wallan Police Station on Friday. Manvir said school CCTV footage was subsequently reviewed and police were given addresses associated with the two girls Krishleen had left with.

Manvir said police later informed both her and Krishleen’s mother that the teenager had been located, was safe and did not want to return home at that stage.

The Australia Today has not spoken with Krishleen and cannot independently establish her wishes or her reasons for leaving.

The family’s concerns now include establishing direct contact with her and understanding how authorities are handling the matter.

The Australia Today was also told that some participants in Tuesday’s gathering were protesting what they regarded as dismissive treatment by police and school authorities. Those concerns remain allegations and have not been independently established.

Wallan Secondary College declined to comment on the individual matter and referred enquiries to the Victorian Department of Education’s media unit.

A department spokesperson told The Australia Today,

“The matter was with Victoria Police and directed questions to police.”

Melbourne social worker Anita Virk told The Australia Today that migrant families needed clearer information about how schools, police and child protection services operate in Australia.

She encouraged those involved to work through their concerns with the relevant authorities, including questions about the teenager’s welfare and communication with her family.

Questions remain about when those circulating the missing-person posters became aware of the family’s account that police had located Krishleen and said she was safe. Her decision to leave voluntarily would not, by itself, make an initial missing-person appeal inaccurate. However, if organisers knew she had subsequently been located, continuing to circulate the posters without an update could mislead the public about whether a search was still underway.

The Australia Today has received an allegation that a local religious group promoted the appeals to put pressure on local and Victorian politicians.

The Australia Today is seeking confirmation from Victoria Police about her welfare and whether any public assistance is still required.

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