ZAGREB, CROATIA – The Croatian Interior Ministry’s Independent Union has asked of Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko to do everything to enable a normal life and work of the two Dubrovnik police officers who have been subjected to harassment from Croatian and foreign reporters after their composite pictures were shown in the documentary about Australian backpacker Britt Lapthorne. 

- We need not even mention how much damage the airing of the composite photos has caused the two police officers who became possible kidnappers and murderers overnight – the union said in its statement.

Australia’s Channel 7 aired a documentary reconstructing the case of Britt Lapthorne in which they showed the composite photos of two men who allegedly kidnap young women in Dubrovnik.

Croatia’s police chief Krunoslav Borovec said the next day that the composites were of two Dubrovnik police officers who approached one of the three participants of the documentary in an official capacity and submitted a report about that. The union claims that their colleagues are subjected to harassment by Croatian and foreign reporters who keep telephoning them, coming to their homes, disturbing their families and neighbours, demanding statements and photographing and taking videos of their homes.

The facts from the documentary can be easily checked 

- We express our support to the Dubrovnik police officers and remind everyone that numerous facts from the documentary can easily be checked – the union said in its statement.

The union is, therefore, asking of Minister Karamarko to do everything to make it possible for the two officers to live normal lives and work normally.

Australian backpacker Britt Lapthorne, 21, was last seen in the night on October 18 exiting a Dubrovnik night club in the company of two men and five young girls. Her body was found on October 6 in the sea in Dubrovnik.

A post-mortem on the young woman showed no signs of violence. The Croatian police say that the Britt Lapthorne case is still open.