Northern Territory
The Barrow
Creek Saga.. continues
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Internal review
salutes Falconio investigation
COMPERE:The
Northern Territory police have given themselves a big tick after a year-long
investigation that still hasn't solved the mystery of the missing British
tourist, Peter Falconio. They released details today of an internal review
of their investigations, which expresses satisfaction, despite some administrative
inefficiencies. Police have come under constant public and media criticism
for their handling of the case. From apparent delays in setting up roadblocks
on the night of the incident, to delays in releasing a truck-stop video
of a man buying fuel in Alice Springs.
Anne Barker
reports.
ANNE BARKER:
The disappearance of Peter Falconio, nearly a year ago, is really a story
of two investigations. The first and obvious one, into the mysterious incident
near Barrow Creek, but almost as thorough - a more recent inquiry into
how police have handled the case. Because just like that other famous disappearance
of baby Azaria Chamberlain, two decades earlier, Northern Territory detectives
have come in for some harsh criticism. Today Assistant Police Commissioner,
John Daulby, was keen to clear his force of any blame
JOHN DAULBY:
The review team gave the task force investigating the disappearance a positive
report card. However, like any major incidence, or investigation of any
serious crime or major crime, there's always room for improvement.
.
ANNE BARKER:
Almost since day one, police have had to fend off questions about their
competence in handling the case. There were accusations of unnecessary
delays in setting up roadblocks on the night in question. There was also
criticism that police had contaminated the crime scene near Barrow Creek,
and alleged bungling of forensic tests on the tourists' orange Kombi van.
On each count, police have been cleared. The roadblocks the review team
found were timely. The forensic tests, professional, and contamination
of the crime scene was justified, because Peter Falconio might still have
been alive.
..............
JOHN DAULBY:
Peter Falconio, on that hypothesis, was probably in that area, they thought.
They undertook an immediate search and we found that the review team found
that was very appropriate under those conditions. One of the apparent keys
to the Falconio case is an in-store security video from the Shell Truckstop
in Alice Springs. The video captured a man in a baseball cap buying fuel
a few hours after the incident, 280 kilometres north. Police only released
the video publicly weeks after the event, prompting more questions and
criticism of the delay.
.
But on that
front too, police have been cleared - the review team accepting their reasons
for delay, and while John Daulby acknowledges inefficiencies in other areas,
he's hoping a new audit will eliminate any other problems.
...............
.
JOHN DAULBY:
The review team recommended that two experienced senior detectives be tasked
to conduct investigative audits of the job to date and we will instigate
that as from the 23rd of July.
.
ANNE BARKER: And
one are the review team found was not given enough attention in the investigation,
is now the subject of a renewed inquiry. John Daulby recounting for the
first time an incident in outback Queensland, two weeks earlier, with startling
similarities to the Falconio case. Two women tourists in another Kombi
van, noticed a man in a four wheel drive who passed them twice before slowing
down, only driving off when their male companion waved.
JOHN DAULBY:
The male tourists in the back of the Kombi waved and this person in the
four-wheel drive has made a gesture, something like a firearm to his head.
ANNE BARKER:
But in all the doubt, John Daulby is certain of one thing - that police
will one day catch the man responsible.
JOHN DAULBY:
I'm confident that someone, at some point in time, will give us that piece
we're looking for, and we've settled this along. This wasn't going to be
easy. It's not easy at all, but I'm confident of that. I've got to be confident.
COMPERE: John
Daulby, the Northern Territory Assistant Police Commissioner, ending Anne
Barker's report.
Source: ABC
News Online, PM, July 9 2002
