Lapthorne's body shows 'no signs of violence'
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The family of Britt Lapthorne will seek to verify the tests in Australia. (ABC TV)
Croatian police say the results of the autopsy on the body of Melbourne backpacker Britt Lapthorne show no signs of violence, but her father has described their statement as "false".
The 21-year-old's body was found in the Adriatic Sea off the Croatian town of Dubrovnik on October 6.
Australian Federal Police officers in Dubrovnik told the Lapthorne family the results of the autopsy were inconclusive.
But at a press conference in the old town, deputy chief of police Ivan Kukrica went further and said the two-page coroner's report showed no evidence of violence that would explain the state of the body.
According to the version presented to her father Dale Lapthorne, the body was in such a severe state of decomposition that no cause of death could be established.
It did provide a possible explanation for the state of the body, suggesting that it might have been damaged after being knocked constantly against the rocks around the bay.
In his five-minute address to the media, Deputy Chief Kukrica took a swipe at the journalists covering the story in Dubrovnik for their "misinformation".
Mr Lapthorne said he was disappointed by the report.
"The body is in such a bad state of decomposition," he said.
"According to the autopsy report as interpreted to us, it cannot be determined whether foul play was involved or not.
"It didn't say that there is no evidence of foul play. Of course there is no evidence of foul play. The body is in such a poor state that nothing can be determined from it without scientific testing or forensic evidence and that hasn't been undertaken at all."
The Victorian coroner's office has agreed to conduct further tests when Mr Lapthorne and his son Darren bring the body back to Melbourne, where they will be reunited with Ms Lapthorne's mother, Elke.
-ABC/AAP
