Father Accuses Australian Watchdog of Dismissing AFP Cover-up Claims in Daughter's Murder

The father of an Australian woman murdered in Mozambique has accused a government watchdog of disregarding his allegations of an Australian Federal Police (AFP) cover-up. Paul Warren launched a private investigation into the death of his daughter Elly, 20, after she was found on Tofo Beach in November 2016.

Elly Warren, an environmentalist, was on a scuba-diving trip and was due to return to Australia days after her death. She was discovered by a local fisherman near a toilet block at dawn. Her murder remains unsolved.

Mr. Warren contends that authorities overseas and in Australia have engaged in a cover-up, a claim he detailed in a dossier submitted to the AFP. He wrote to the AFP Commissioner in May 2024 after a State Coroner suggested he address his concerns directly with the AFP. The Commissioner's Office initially responded that his matters would be considered, but later informed Mr. Warren that his correspondence was not classified as a complaint.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman previously upheld its decision to close Mr. Warren's case, stating the AFP's stance was "reasonable in the circumstance." The Ombudsman also noted that the AFP's Professional Standards team had received no formal complaint from Mr. Warren.

Mr. Warren has lodged a fresh submission with the Ombudsman's Review Manager, arguing that the watchdog placed undue emphasis on how the AFP labeled his correspondence rather than its content. He questions the application of Section 40SA of the AFP Act, which pertains to issues regarding AFP conduct or practices, to his report. He stated, "This is not simply a disagreement about whether my correspondence was formally classified as a complaint."

His report raised specific points, including the use of a blurred crime scene photograph in an AFP liaison officer's statement to the coroner, which he claims obscured evidence of his daughter's injuries. He also noted the delayed submission of an AFP action sheet and the absence of a Mozambique prosecutor's report in the coronial brief, despite the AFP's summary indicating they obtained it in 2016.

Mr. Warren further questioned why a formal government-to-government mutual assistance request was not sent to Mozambique and why Elly's clothing was incinerated before it could be collected from Maputo Central Hospital. An initial Mozambique autopsy determined her death was a homicide due to suffocation by sand. However, the Australian coroner's findings were later amended to aspiration of sand, removing the reference to homicide.

Mr. Warren emphasized that he is not seeking the Ombudsman to determine guilt or overturn the coroner's findings, but rather to provide a reasoned explanation of how his report was handled. He referenced the Ombudsman's own 2023-24 report on AFP complaint handling, which identified recurring issues with complaint identification and categorization.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman declined to answer specific questions citing privacy obligations. A spokesman stated that reviews are triaged and prioritized based on complexity, workload, and the presence of factors such as imminent risk of harm or significant vulnerabilities. Mr. Warren's review request was triaged according to their policies.

The AFP maintains that the investigation into Elly Warren's death falls under the jurisdiction of Mozambique authorities. A spokesperson stated that the AFP's actions were in support of the Victorian State Coroner and that they have continuously engaged with Mozambique authorities, offering support. The AFP directed inquiries to the published findings of the Coroner's inquest.

Paul Warren has since published a book titled "Hunting Elly's Killer" detailing his pursuit of justice for his daughter.