Murdered backpacker's father tells of his grief
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The father of the British backpacker thrown to her death from a bridge in Queensland, Australia says he will never get over it.
Alan Stuttle, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire described Caroline, 19, as a "wonderful daughter". He said he could not believe she had been killed for the sake of her mobile phone and the contents of her handbag.
Mr Stuttle, who runs an art gallery in York, said the family would never recover. "I'll never get over it and neither will her mother or close friends," he said. "She was a wonderful daughter – a credit to us and herself. It has been a very, very painful day. She had just got her university papers through. It's an awful thing to live with for the rest of our life."
Ms Stuttle is thought to have been attacked, robbed and thrown off a 65ft-high bridge in the town of Bundaberg, Queensland on Wednesday night. Police searching for her killer released an e-fit sketch yesterday of a man seen walking behind her as she crossed the bridge. He is a solidly-built white man aged between 25 and 30, with a fair complexion and collar-length brown hair.
A post mortem yesterday concluded that Ms Stuttle had died of head and spinal injuries. Police said preliminary evidence suggested she had not been sexually assaulted, although she had sustained minor injuries before her fall. Detective Inspector Jeff Oliphant of Queensland Police said society should be "ashamed" of the horrendous way that Ms Stuttle had died.
Queensland tourism officials sought to calm fears yesterday about the safety of Australia, following a series of crimes, including the arson attack two years ago on a youth hostel in Childers, a few miles from Bundaberg, in which seven Britons died.
Ms Stuttle was spending her gap year travelling around Australia before starting a psychology degree at Manchester University. She is believed to have been killed as she returned to a caravan park on the outskirts of town after calling her boyfriend in England from a public telephone box at Bundaberg post office.
The suspect was seen by a woman who reported screams near the Burnett Bridge at 9.30pm on Wednesday.
Ms Stuttle's brother, Richard, 24, who has flown back to England from France where he works as a chef, said his sister was "a real angel". "We are all absolutely heart-broken ... My mum is our main concern at the moment, she is really struggling," he said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments