Britt Lapthorne’s Case Linked to Slovenian’s Death

Britt and Irena were found three weeks after their disappearance, and the police were involved in both cases, claims Irena’s mother.

The murder of the Australian Britt Lapthorne (21) and the Slovenian Irena Mlakar (35), whose body was found on Krk island in August 2007, are linked, writes the Slovenian `Delo´. In those two cases, they state, there are many similarities, starting from the suspicion that the police were involved. Remember, the body of girl from Jesenica, Irena Mlakar, was found near the “Veli Vrh” peak on the island of Krk, where the woman went on holiday with her two friends. The Croatian police started an investigation, and so did Irena’s friends who came to the islands of Rab, Cres and Krk on the same day, where Irena went, and they posted posters of the 35 year old.

A retired criminalist joined Irena’s friends in their search on Krk island for a short time; he did not reveal any names, but said that the police were involved in it.

Irena Mlakar’s mother, Stasa Mlakar, took photographs from her drawer, whose negatives were never given to the police or looked at by the police. Ten photographs were printed on one sort of paper, and one on another, which is odd. Photograph studios use only one type of paper.

On three of the eleven photographs, Irena was dressed in a red shirt, the same one that she was wearing when he body was found, so it is assumed that they were taken on the day of her death. What is especially noticeable on the photographs is a man that is hugging her, dressed in a white polo shirt. Even though the photographs are of poor quality, the logo can be of special importance. The sign looks like the logo of the English police, a seven pointed star with a crown on top.

Lost passport as a lead

Who was wearing a shirt with a symbol of the British police at the time when Mlakar died, and who took photographs with her, is still unknown. The Croatian police determined that on August 13 and 14, Mlakar was on the island of Rab, and that she came to Krk via ferry around 6pm. Also, it was recorded that the Slovenian withdrew a certain amount of money with an “Abanka” bank card from an ATM machine of the Erste bank on August 15, whilst the Croatian police say she withdrew one thousand kuna on Rab.

The police report states that on August 15 she was on Krk with Djordje Grandic, in whose boat she lost her passport with photographs printed in the photo studio “Luka” in Baska. If Mlakar lost the documents, or left a trace when she left the boat, is not known. Besides that, in the report they stated that there are no witnesses that Irena was seen on Cres in a red shirt, on the ferry port on August 22.

“It seems that the death of my daughter and the Australian Britt Lapthorne, who died in Croatia last year, are linked. There are many similarities because both were found three weeks after disappearing, both were identified via DNA, and the autopsy did not reveal the cause of their death” said Stasa Mlakar, Irena’s mother.