grodscorp@grods.comThe search for Britt
 | Posted by Bridgit Gread on Tuesday 7 October 2008, 4:31 pm Categories: Media Tags: BrittLapthorne, Croatia, DaleLapthorne, missingpersons |
This will sound controversial, callous and unsympathetic but I kinda wish that Dale Lapthorne - father of missing Australian backpacker Britt Lapthorne - would pull his head in.
Don’t mistake me, I’m sympathetic to his plight, I’m concerned for his daughter and I genuinely hope they find her alive and well. But I can’t help but wonder whether making the media your first port-of-call instead of your last, acting like a loose cannon and criticising everyone and anyone involved is doing the search for Britt more harm than good. Take for instance this exchange in today’s Age:
In the cruellest twist of a farcical investigation, a sea search - with tip-offs to local media who were taken on board the vessel - was sparked after a fisherman called to say he had sighted a body in the coastal inlet directly between the town’s two, newest and best-known five star resorts.
A tearful Dale Lapthorne last night described the event as a “terrible body blow, extraordinary, just extraordinary” and lashed out at the AFP liaison officer who not only failed to inform him of the find but also made the comment “damn the media”.
He said the only information he received was two messages from Australian journalists, one who asked him to “call the police immediately”, the other to tell him it was “likely to be Britt”.
Mr Lapthorne said that when he did call the Dubrovnik police, he was told there was nothing to report, something he described as “horrible, really weird”.
It should be clear to all and sundry that the police run missing persons investigations, not the media. And particularly not Australian journalists in an eastern European country. It is likely that the Croatian police knew exactly what they were doing by not informing Lapthorne of their find, since bodies wash up along their coastline frequently and this particular one had been dead for weeks, if not months. Why panic family members and drag them to a grisly scene when the chances of it being his daughter were remote? The Croatian police were probably acting cautiously; the Australian journalist who told Dale Lapthorne it was “likely to be her” was acting like a presumptuous tool.
Then again, Mr Lapthorne has shown a greater trust in the media than all the other parties he has slammed as uninterested, lazy or incompetent: the local police, the Australian Federal Police, his AFP liaison officer, the Australian consul in Zagreb, the Croatian government, DFAT, Kevin Rudd. I can’t help but think if I was in the same situation, I’d want these people on my side. Meanwhile the media - in the words of my crass work colleague “a fickle sodomite who gives no reach-arounds” - has rewarded Mr Lapthorne’s confidence by circulating a baseless and sensationalist claim that Britt was “promiscuous”.
Let’s hope Britt is found soon and her family can have either reunion or closure.
Tuesday 7 October 2008, 4:45 pm #Chuck
I’m in two minds about it. The start the investigation sounded rather slow and maybe Lapthorne thought by speaking to the media he was keeping the Croatian police on their toes and putting pressure on the Australian gov’t to give as much support as possible.
However, there are times when one should pull their head in and let the police and officials do their job. Fuck, poor guy. If I was him I’d be going nuts. Hopefully he is getting some good advice and comfort at the moment from the Australian consulate and police.
Tuesday 7 October 2008, 4:49 pm #Jeremy
Yes, The Age pontificated about how shocked and hurt the family was by the “promiscuous” claim - whilst repeating it in as much salacious detail as possible…
Tuesday 7 October 2008, 5:10 pm #Bridgit Gread
Fuck, poor guy. If I was him I’d be going nuts. Hopefully he is getting some good advice and comfort at the moment from the Australian consulate and police.
No argument from me on that count.
Tuesday 7 October 2008, 5:31 pm #jimmy
There really is absolutely no way a person could predict how they would feel/react in such a devestating, terrifing situation as what this man is going through. No one could know what they would do in that situation until they were in it, and then, most people would just go to pieces. I know I would. This guy would be so far beyond sick with worry, it’s no wonder he’s exhibiting signs of frustration. It’s “the media” who should pull their heads in, not him. I’m sure nobody expects the guy to be acting coolly and rationally given what he’s going through. Like you say, whoever told him that it was “likely to be his daughter” without substantiation is a total fucking twit. And those who repeated those “promiscious” claims in the Age, also twits. He’s just reacting with incredible frustration, fear, and heartbreak. And if I were in his position, I’d be exactly the same.
Tuesday 7 October 2008, 6:11 pm #Ant Rogenous
Very well said, Jimmy.
Tuesday 7 October 2008, 6:39 pm #Wah
I must admit I have been thinking the same thing as Bridgit, but I guess lashing out is his way of expressing his fear and frustration and perhaps feeling as though he is doing something useful.
It was quite telling that he seemed relieved when he thought it was Britt’s body that was found, in the sense that it gave him closure. It shows that he probably does not hold much hope of seeing her alive.
A terribly sad situation.
Tuesday 7 October 2008, 10:20 pm #Sarah
I heard him *thanking* the media for notifying him, when it’s pretty obvious they were giving him misleading information in the hope of getting some dramatic scenes. If he thinks the media are friends of his in this situation he’s sorely mistaken. They’d be just as happy to find her dead as alive. Poor guy.
Wednesday 8 October 2008, 1:15 am #Jeremy
“They’d be just as happy to find her dead as alive.”
You reckon? I don’t think many of them are really THAT far gone.
Wednesday 8 October 2008, 1:24 pm #Mondo Rock
I totally disagree Bridgit.
My view of the Australian bureaucracy, particularly the AFP, is that they are generally a farcical bunch of lazy no-hopers who won’t do anything even remotely useful until the media shames them into doing it.
It is likely that the Croatian police knew exactly what they were doing by not informing Lapthorne of their find, since bodies wash up along their coastline frequently and this particular one had been dead for weeks, if not months.
This doesn’t really follow - the Croatian cops invited the media on board the boat with them - you don’t seriously doubt that the cops knew the media would report the find to a salivating public do you? So why is it unreasonable to expect that someone would contact Mr Lapthorne to advise him of this development? Why did he only find out about it from the Australian media and not the cops or the consulate? I suspect it’s because the Australian diplomatic service is so useless that they are less informed about developments in the case than the local media.
If I were Dale Lapthorne I’d be riding the media as hard as I could. We all know that in today’s climate it is the ONLY way to ensure results from our public bureaucracy.
Wednesday 8 October 2008, 1:34 pm #TR
Britt was riding something hard as she could, and look where it got here.
Wednesday 8 October 2008, 2:06 pm #Jason
TR, you’re a fucking tool. You’re not in the least bit amusing, and you can neither spell nor type. Your comments are a waste of space. Why don’t you be a good boy and piss off to whichever livestock-humping porn site you were staring at before you came here.
Wednesday 8 October 2008, 9:58 pm #Bridgit Gread
Mondo, I cannot concur. Bureaucracies do not run scared of the media and I doubt they’re as incompetent as you are suggesting. In any event, what influence do you think even the hardest-working Australian bureaucrats, MPs or police might have on Croatian bureaucrats, MPs and police? Next to none. If it was a place where we had some pull through trade ties or an aid commitment it might be a different story, but this is not one of those. Stirring up a media shitstorm in this country will achieve little or nothing in theirs.
TR, you are an abominable excuse for a human being.
Thursday 9 October 2008, 12:57 pm #Mondo Rock
In any event, what influence do you think even the hardest-working Australian bureaucrats, MPs or police might have on Croatian bureaucrats, MPs and police?
Very little, I agree, nonetheless as a foreign government they will have some influence, particularly in relation to a location that relies on foreign tourism. It almost sounds as if you’re excusing the Australian consulate officials from doing anything, since nothing they do will have any impact.
The bottom line remains - it is the consulate’s responsibility ensure that Mr Lapthorne is adequately informed as to all developments in the case AND it is their responsibility to maintain pressure on the Croatian authorities to do all they can to find Brit. In the absence of Australian media pressure at home I have zero confidence that the Consulate staff would do their jobs properly. Bureaucracies may not run scared of the media, but they sure as shit run scared from their minister - who DOES run scared from the media.
Thursday 9 October 2008, 4:54 pm #Bridgit Gread
The bottom line remains - it is the consulate’s responsibility ensure that Mr Lapthorne is adequately informed as to all developments in the case AND it is their responsibility to maintain pressure on the Croatian authorities to do all they can to find Brit.
I heartily agree. But how do we know that they haven’t been doing those things? We’re only going on some emotional outbursts from Dale Lapthorne, who’s not best placed to objectively evaluate professional capacity. In fact I suspect his claims of apathy and incompetence (which he was making, I hasten to add, even before he left Australia) are more a knee-jerk expression of his own frustrations.
Thursday 9 October 2008, 5:14 pm #richard ryan
IT would be interesting to note what Bolta the worlds greatest wordsmith, what sort of media spin he would put on this, to impress his beloved Herald Sun.
Thursday 9 October 2008, 5:59 pm #Mondo Rock
Richard - unless the story has an angle that Bolt can exploit to criticise:
1. The Left
2. Feminists
3. The environmental movement, or
4. A minority ethnic group
then he won’t be interested. Indeed not a peep from him on this issue so far.
Bridgit - you may be right. I just know that if I were in his situation I’d have a direct line to the Australian media as my best means of maintaining pressure on the relevant authorities, both local and domestic.
Thursday 9 October 2008, 7:49 pm #concerned observer
I agree with Bridget. The media have a lot to answer for. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through their Embassies and Consulates provide outstanding support to families. This does not mean that families no matter how distressed should default their own responsibility. It is normal when distressed, upset, anxious to experience learned helplessness, but we must remember that 20,000 young Australians are reported missing every year. Britt unfortunately is one of these statisitics. The Australian Government I would imagine has little juristiction in Croatia, and therefore is reliant on the good will of the local authorities to allow the AFP to be involved in any investigation. The Australian Government must be invited to provide this assistance in the same way the Australian Defence Force was invited into Bali following the Bali Bombings…
The media are always after an angle and seem intent on ridiculing the services of those public servants who are intent on helping and do care about the welfare of all Australians. Shame on them..perhaps for once they could provide a suopoportive comment rather than agitate and further distress families in need.
Friday 10 October 2008, 10:27 am #Mondo Rock
The Australian Government I would imagine has little juristiction in Croatia, and therefore is reliant on the good will of the local authorities to allow the AFP to be involved in any investigation.
Latest news is that the geniuses at the AFP sent a Serbian nationalist as their ‘liaison’ to the local Croatian police - dunno how much ‘good will’ he’ll be fostering with the local authorities. Well, that’s if they can find him I suppose - after meeting with Mr Lapthorne only once in the past few weeks he’s now being replaced.
I don’t know how to post hyperlinks, but the address for the story is: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/questions-raised-over-phantom-of-dubrovnik/2008/10/10/1223145551950.html
In addition, the latest reports are that the body found actually is likely to be Brit’s after all.
Anyone still think that the AFP and consular staff are doing a bang-up job?
Friday 10 October 2008, 12:12 pm #Keri
Mondo - According to the reports I heard this morning, it’s not likely to be Britt, but one Croation paper reported it as such. Apparently the only reason for that speculation is that the bodies are the same height.
Friday 10 October 2008, 1:42 pm #Mondo Rock
I agree that it’s speculation either way until the facts are finally revealed, but this nonetheless sinks the argument that the AFP made the right decision not to notify the Lapthorne’s about the receent ‘find’ because the body was weeks old and unlikely to be Brit’s.
Saturday 11 October 2008, 3:52 pm #Wah
Oh well sadly it looks as though the Croatian police have made thatb same error of jusgement again.
Saturday 11 October 2008, 9:19 pm #Bridgit Gread
Yes, it’s sad news. But at least it’s better than not recovering her body at all and therefore not knowing.
Superficially the AFP hasn’t come out of it smelling like roses - nevertheless I don’t think it’s fair to ‘blame’ the AFP for anything until a formal investigation is conducted (if it ever is). Perhaps they were following the usual protocols; perhaps the Croatian police were refusing to share information; perhaps language difficulties resulted in crossed lines of communication. It’s not up to the media, itself neither objective or structurally scrupulous, to investigate or decide on the effectiveness of anything without some process.