The father of backpacker Britt Lapthorne, who was found dead in Croatia three weeks ago, has met with Australian Federal Police (AFP) as part of an inquiry into the case.
Dale Lapthorne today said he was the first person to be interviewed by the AFP as part of the inquiry into how the case was handled.
Ms Lapthorne, 21, went missing while backpacking in the Croatian coastal town of Dubrovnik on September 18. Her badly decomposed body was found in the sea off Dubrovnik on October 8.
Mr Lapthorne said Friday’s meeting was constructive and amicable.
He said he hoped the inquiry, which is expected to take two weeks, would result in more clarity for Australians dealing with the AFP over similar matters in the future.
“I think it’s for the benefit of everybody who is going to use that service in future,” he told AAP.
“It’s not going to be any great benefit for Britt Lapthorne, but it will possibly help and improve the process and get a better understanding for people in the future.”
Lapthorne, who flew to Dubrovnik after his daughter disappeared, was highly critical of the Croatian police and the AFP’s involvement in the investigation.
The Lapthornes’ criticism of local police included the slow start to the search, the lack of communication with the family, their insistence that the body found in the water could not be Britt’s and the failure to determine how she died.
Lapthorne said a second DNA test conducted on Britt’s body in Australia had reconfirmed it was his daughter.
He said results from an investigation by the Victorian Coroner into the cause of Britt’s death may be known next week, when he expects his daughter’s body to be released.