Crisis of Identity

I arrived at mum’s just before 7pm. Mum poured a red for herself and a Jack straight up for me. It was time for A Current Affair to begin, so we positioned ourselves in front of the TV.

This is foreign ground for both us. Neither of us normally tune in to watch this show, but tonight we were interested in this particular episode, or part of it at least.

Two days ago, A Current Affair contacted me for comment following the retraction published by the West Australian newspaper. They suggested it was a newsworthy, feel good story of public interest.

After discussing it with mum, we agreed to meet with them. Prior to the interview commencing the Producer asked if mum and I would be prepared to be interviewed on TV. We considered it an opportunity for our voices to be heard, so we accepted.

Two days earlier, the cameras were set up right here in the lounge room. Several crew and the interviewing female journalist filled mum’s lounge. Bright spotlights on tripods beamed on us from either side of the camera.

Like most average Joes, I have not appeared on TV before, so it was a nerve wracking experience. We were advised to ignore the camera and focus on the interviewer.

The interview lasted approximately thirty minutes. Mum and I were happy with the questions asked and our responses; those we can recall, of course.

The interview was our chance to articulate, from a personal level, how we have been mistreated and how this Dawes investigation has impacted on our lives.

We realize the whole thirty-minute interview will not be aired, so we are interested to see what questions made it and what ones were edited out of the ten-minute segment.

When the show started our interview was the first cab off the rank. It was surreal watching ourselves being interviewed on TV. I clearly looked nervous, but mum was great.

The take away I got from the parts of the interview aired was how absurd this police investigation is, particularly when we confirmed we had a birth certificate proving I was born in WA.

In the interview we discussed Dawes and the lengths he has gone to in trying to prove his absurd theory. And we discussed our pending law suit against him and Queensland Police. To me at least, our responses made Dawes look like the desperate cop that he is, when it comes to this investigation.

The interviewing journalist raised the issue that back in ’94 witnesses noticed a green sedan driving passed Jayden Evans’ home more than once on the morning he went missing. She asked mum if she or dad owned a green sedan, when they lived in Queensland.

For us, it was a good question. Mum explained how they never owned a green sedan. She mentioned dad drove a brown and white Range Rover, which he needed to tow his boat, and she drove a black Audi sedan. They sold those cars before moving interstate to Karratha.

The journalist also raised the point that over the years following Jayden’ disappearance, the police interviewed a total of five hundred persons of interest.

‘But none were ever charged.’ She slipped in a comment, “chances are, Jayden’s abductor was probably among those interviewed.”

She then asked mum if the police spoke to her or dad at any stage while they lived in Queensland.

When mum replied with a firm no, the journalist added, “So would it fair to say, the investigating police had never heard of you, or your husband around the time Jayden Evans disappeared?”

Before mum could answer, the journalist asked, “You were never considered suspects, back then?” Her question was rhetorical to prove a point, but mum answered anyway with a firm “definitely not… And nor should we be.”

I was taken aback slightly when the journalist asked if we were aware that a convicted paedophile sued Dawes for damages after Dawes continually harassed this person and publicly accused him of being the person who took Jayden Evans. She mentioned the Queensland police settled the law suit for an undisclosed sum.

To hear Dawes has already been sued once before, over this case, was comforting, even reassuring given what we are going through.

I was so nervous at the time of the interview I didn’t retain all the questions asked, or our responses. So it was pleasing to see the interview presented as a neat package. Everything we wanted to be kept in was aired during the interview.

When our segment was over, the show went to an ad break. Mum and I exchanged curious glances; each one clearly wondering what the other thought. I went first.

‘What did you think…?’

‘I didn’t mind it, actually,’ mum said. ‘I think we were given a fair and reasonable opportunity to put our position forward… To show how we believe we have been mistreated in this whole investigation.’

‘I agree. She was completely sympathetic to our position, which was good. The green car question was a nice touch, I thought.’

Mum nodded. ‘I think the most telling part was that until recently, Dawes and the Queensland police had never heard of us. We were never on their radar as suspects, so why now, after all these years?’ Mum asked rhetorically.

‘I actually liked the part about Dawes being sued by someone else and the cops settling it. Means they knew they couldn’t defend it in court… That’s where we are with Dawes, I reckon.’

I lifted the remote when the show returned from the ads. ‘Are you interested in the rest of this show?’

‘Not particularly. Are you?’

I turned off the TV. ‘No.’

After watching our segment on TV we were both feeling upbeat for the first time in a long while. The aired interview spoke volumes to the injustices we are experiencing.

I decided to try and keep this feeling going so I offered to take mum out to dinner at the restaurant of her choice.

After making a quick reservation call, we finished our drinks, selected a suitable bottle of red and headed to mum’s favourite Chinese restaurant in the city.

Of late they have been few and far between for us, but tonight was a good night, especially for mum.