As for the most unfortunate backpacker- I just can’t escape the feeling that Britt’s parents sold their collective souls and their poor daughter’s sad finale, for as much money as the media market would bear. To cash in on your child’s death is obscene. They have reveled in their Faustian contract and now politicians and bureaucrats are being beaten up in the media because of them. Hell, even Judas Iscariot only shopped Christ for thirty pieces of silver. If he had waited long enough he could have made a fortune flogging off Christ’s death. “Your correspondents at ‘The Hebrew Times’ revealed today the epic story of one man’s crusade to fight for religious freedom was cruelly ruined by the Romans.” .
“Free pieces of his cross to be won. Valid for the first 200 readers…conditions apply. Applicants must prove their sincerity.”

For Jewish readers: There is no way that I would wish to offended you: I couldn’t think of another title for my fictitious newspaper.

Although it’s understandable, I can’t believe that Britt’s family (particularly her father Dale) has just simply brushed aside all notions that her daughter being drunk may (or that her drinks may have being spiked?) be a contributing factor to her disappearance. Telling how sweet she was, etc as a way of them trying to come to terms with their recent loss.

For those suggesting a boycott of Croatia as a result of this how come there’s no such talk of a Bali boycott in the aftermath of the bombings there that was clearly an attack on Australians? If you want to boycott Croatian products, or the country itself then that’s fine by me. It’s not as though Croatia isn’t even an important trading partner for Australia, unlike our Asian neighbours to the north, e.g. China. So if such an incident where one of “our” own backpackers goes missing in China, how are we going to boycott that country when even our Speedos are made over there? No I’m not saying this about China because I’m racist, nor am I even interested in the issue of race.

Now maybe there may be a perception that Croatia isn’t really a safe place to visit (we do know how perceptions don’t always match reality) if It was proven that Britt was indeed a victim of a deliberate attack. Perhaps that’s why Britt’s father reckons that the Dubrovnik police are only good at being “traffic police”; for fear that such a revelation may harm the local tourism and hospitality industry?

After what has come to light in recent days it seems the Lapthorne’s sense that something was not quite right with the Dubrovnik police investigation was correct. I do admire them for their strength and tenacity in not letting up on this issue whereas many others would have given up long ago. Britt was very fortunate to have had such loving and caring parents. More strength to them!