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Britt Lapthorne Petition

I’ve started a petition in Britt’s name to change the law to help Australian families when their loved ones go missing overseas. Listen and watch Britt’s father Dale Lapthorne explain why this petition is important and why he wants all Australians to sign it. This issue matters to all of us. Thanks for your help.

To the Honourable President and members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:

We the undersigned want no other family to suffer what Britt Lapthorne’s family did, in having to fight so much bureaucratic red tape to investigate their daughter’s disappearance and death overseas.

Australian families deserve better.  We ask the Senate to change the law to ensure:

1. When an Australian is reported missing in a foreign country, their family must be told straight away. The Lapthorne’s were not told of their daughter’s disappearance until six days after she had been reported missing to Australian authorities.
2. The Australian government must offer families certain essential services, like translators, regular updates from police and assistance with appeals through the media so they can use all avenues available to find their missing child. Britt’s family were criticised for talking to the media but it was the media who tracked down important witnesses.
3. Australia must establish agreements with all countries so that when an Australian goes missing there are agreed procedures and expectations of what must be done to try and find them. There was no such agreement with Croatia when Britt disappeared.