News Briefs

How many governments honestly apprise tourists of the real crime situations they will face? The answer is less than one. My life and yours and totally negotiable when profits are up for grabs. Caveat emptor---let the buyer beware. Americans disappear all the time in Central and South America and the media isn't interested unless the situation becomes so well known that it can no longer be ignored. A blind eye is turned on disappearances whenever possible. The answer? Host country governments are irrelevant as they are in on the tourist game like all the other countries are. Share the URLs of the websites that cover missing tourists with everyone on your e mail list and urge all you know to do likewise.

I agree that governments quickly discard the word "responsibility" in the world of realpolitik. But tourist destinations need to be transparent about their capacity to protect tourists. That's what tourists need. Otherwise they're taking risks without being aware of it.

Brian----the word "responsibility" is quickly discarded by most governments when things like making money and political expediency are the real topics of concern. I would bet that there are a lot more American, Canadian and European tourists that have quietly disappeared without making a ripple in the press since so many people travel alone and don't let their families and friends know their travel plans.

Jim - I agree with your comments about reaction of governments to missing/homicide cases. There is definitely a tendency for tourist destinations to keep quiet about such unpleasant matters. But sovereign states DO have the primary responsibility to protect citizens as well as tourists.

And it is also my experience that the diplomatic community are only able to provide limited assistance. They have their own political agendas.

To John---add one more. Kimberly Blackwell, a Canadian citizen on the west coast, was recently murdered and no one has been arrested yet for the crime. Sort of makes one wonder if there is a serial killer(s) on the coast that is targeting tourists.

The DuBois couple has been added to the "Missing Americans Project" at missingamericans.ning.com.

Reward notices on behalf of missing/murdered tourists that are placed on internet sites and newspapers that are read near the crime locations will go a long way towards motivating governments around the world to stop soft pedaling these crimes.

Thanks for the additional info to all the other commenters. Its a shame how crimes like these are hidden in a way that encourages future incidents to happen.

If one examines the cases of crime in Costa Rica it becomes apparent that in the Pacific areas victims tend to simply disappear or are found murdered whereas in San Jose people disappear less often but may have a higher likelihood of getting robbed, stabbed or shot, especially if they are in the downtown area during evening or early morning hours. If you happen to be killed in San Jose instead of on the Pacific coast your body is more likely to be found-------small comfort indeed.

For Leslie----Police here in America have said that generally speaking, after a child goes missing by parents or guardians for more than a few hours the chances of finding the victim alive are very unlikely. Based upon the media accounts I have seen about tourists in Costa Rica the same is true there as well. This is not always the case but usually is. Victims of robbery, sex crimes and kidnapping are increasingly being killed since the criminals don't want any witnesses as the laws are getting tougher in many countries; Costa Rica being something of an exception. Governments try to stay silent about these unpleasant matters since tourism is so important to some countries, especially small tropical destinations like Costa Rica. What can one do? Offer a reward for information that results in the arrest and conviction of those responsible. This will serve to educate the public as to the reality of the situation. One can try to utilize the embassy located in the country where the people were kidnapped or murdered. Keep in mind that these efforts may not be welcomed by the diplomatic community since they may conflict with political agendas.

Wow- I hadn't realized that many people had gone missing. I am an American tourist here on the Pacific Coast. I travel around quite a bit and I will be sure to keep my eyes peeled for these two. My thoughts are with their family as this must be horrifying to have to go through.