Middleton: ‘Blocking TV crew has further damaged Bermuda’

The father of murdered teen Rebecca Middleton has said that Government’s move to block a film crew from entering the island has made the island look even worse in the eyes of the world.

Speaking to the Bermuda Sun from his home in Canada, David Middleton described Bermuda’s handling of his daughter’s murder case as ‘a model of how not to do things’.

And he said he was broadly supportive of the documentary makers and said there was value in retelling the tragic case.

Mr Middleton said: “Remembrance Day is a reminder of the futility of war.  This is a reminder of how not to run a legal system as the element of justice escaped this case.

“There are improvements and better ways to proceed if you choose them.

“It does appear that the Government is hiding something. After you get past the ‘what is it being hidden’ comes the ‘what else is or will be hidden’ and then the questions of trust.”

Rebecca Middleton was raped, tortured and killed while on vacation on the island, on July 3, 1996.

The 17-year-old was stabbed up to 35 times and left to die on a remote road in Ferry Reach, St George’s. No one has been convicted of her murder.

Mr Middleton told the Sun he believed his daughter’s case had indelibly tainted Bermuda in the eyes of Canadians who remembered the murder.

And he said he was in favour of seeing a ‘quality production’ filmed that was an honest and fair reflection of the case.

He said: “With the lack of approval for the company to film in Bermuda, I hope they can get comments from some officials in Bermuda for their point of view.”

He added that he believes Carol Shuman’s book is the core of the story: “I think they will try to interview people that had a part in this story and see how they view it now that a number of years have passed.

“There are people that were so distressed by this case that they will not want to revisit it by way of a media interview.

“This is the type of work this company does and if they keep it accurate and honest they will have an audience wanting to view the documentary they produce. This is one reason why all the major players in this case should be interviewed and they should take the opportunity to present their views.”

He told the Bermuda Sun: “Nothing will bring Becky back for us but getting tough on crime may prevent crimes of this nature from happening to other families.

“Having the will to make the changes needed rather than staying the present course would likely get a high approval rating from all corners. Most Bermudians I met are warm, caring, friendly people that love their island home and want more justice in their legal system.”