Media Advisory

EVA RHODES, A BRITISH CITIZEN MISSING IN HUNGARY! LAST SEEN ON 10 SEPTEMBER 2008!

Eva Rhodes, a well-known animal lover and animal rights activist, who ran a sanctuary in Böny near Györ, Hungary for abandoned and mistreated animals, was last seen on the 10th September 2008, at approx. 6 pm in her Land Rover Discovery at a bus stop in Böny. Eva also had a “Roma” type man in the car. There she spoke to her colleague from England, and pointed out that the man she had in her car was newly engaged to help to look after the animals while she went for overdue treatment for her back pains. We are grateful for any information on the identity of this man.

On 18 September her sister Judith Majlath reported Eva missing to the Györ police. The police found her two old white cars with the key inside in her courtyard. Her office was ransacked and her new Toshiba laptop type A200 missing.

According to Eva´s veterinary doctor, Dr.Sandorfy, the animals had not been fed for approximately 2-3 days, therefore some died or were in poor condition. Those who knew Eva´s love and dedicated work for the animals will know that she would have never left them unattended.

Therefore, Eva must have fallen victim to possible homicide, or some violent attack. However, she is not in hospital.

Eva Rhodes´s work in Hungary for 12 years was not always well received. She was hounded by many, including the authorities and she repeatedly received threats and smearmails. Over the years she was repeatedly slandered and libelled by a rival animal organization in Györ, called “Emberek Àllatokèrt”, the very organization who curiously managed almost immediately after Eva’s disappearance to be at Eva’s private property ( where the Sanctury was located) and remove ALL EVA’S ANIMALS subsequently . To legitimize their action they forged a document at a later date, however this has been reported to the police and is under investigation. Eva was living alone at the sanctuary, almost without help, she was living in fear, but she would not leave her animals.

19th September Judith Majlath, Eva’s sister went to Györ police to report her missing in writing. Judith then went to Eva’s house and found her private property covered in Media TV, Press Reporters, & people were running off with Eva’s animals . This was organized by the Animal Trust in Györ “Emeberek Àllatokert” over night as an “animal rescue” operation and used subsequently for a Europe wide fundraising stunt with unprecedented slander and misinformation about Eva via the local media. All Eva’s, rather valuable dogs and cats were stolen and some sold off via the internet for “donations”. Some of Eva’s possessions had been stolen, including a new unused Toshiba Laptop computer, still in its box. [they left the box] but her Land Rover Discovery, was still there, open with key in the car as if someone had just fled the place. The Police were not guarding the place, therefore they lost important forensic evidence!

The British Foreign Office & the British Police at Scotland Yard were also contacted, neither, subsequently, have had any useful information from the Györ Police.
On 9th October, one month later, the Györ police did a minimal search, also filmed by the Media. No forensic evidence was taken, until 2 months later.

[It is also questionable whether a different Police Force, should not have been asked to handle the case, in view of the fact that Eva’s daughter Sophie Barta won a case against the Györ Police for assault, at the Strasbourg Court of Human Rights last year.]

Dissatisfied with the Police efforts, Judith brought in a private team, a non-governmental organization ( NGO ) www.spider112.hu, Eva’s car was searched by specially trained dogs for finding dead people who revealed that a dead person had been on the back seat of the car. The head of this operation was never asked to give evidence by the Györ Police, nor was the Discovery impounded by them.

Judith asked Police to offer a reward for information on her missing sister. Police had refused so far. Despite the fact, that they were offering a reward of 10 million Forint for a similar inquiry. However, on 24th December the Hungarian newspaper BLIKK reported that the Györ police will be offering a Reward of 1 million Forint in due course! 1 million Forint Reward in now being offered by the Györ police.

It is nearly 5 months since Eva’s disappearance, her bank account, credit cards & mobile phone, have not been used. On 4th November, the cesspit was finally pumped out, waterholes checked (almost 2 months after Eva was last seen) Forensic police took samples, Judith discovered a dinner tray in Eva's bedroom. Presumably her last meal. The forensic Police took note of a man’s jacket with bloodstains and holes & some brown sandals found in a caravan in Eva's courtyard. There has been no DNA test done on the jacket so far.

Between 4th November & 8th December and thereafter the house & buildings belonging to Eva Rhodes, have subsequently been systematically burgled several times. The Györ Police does not bother to investigate these crimes, saying they do not have the financial resources. Eva’s post has been diverted to an unknown address, we are asking the public NOT to send any donations or cheques to Eva or to her Trust “Csizmaskandur” for the animals, since there are no longer any animals at the Sanctuary & Eva is missing. Since Eva’s disappearance donations were handled by a secretary closely linked to the Animal Org. Emberek Allatokert in Györ. Most of the local authorities are unhelpful and in support of this particular organisation.

A letter was sent to the British Foreign Minister, David Miliband to urge him to follow Mr. Sarkozys lead, [French student Ophelie Bretnacher missing in Budapest] in sending manpower or expertise to help the Hungarian Police with their effort to find Eva Rhodes.
On the 16th January 2009 the Missing person investigation file was closed by the Györ police, a document was handed to J.M. to that effect.
Yet under some Hungarian Law the investigation will continue in spite of this. J.M will apply for the investigation to be changed from the present status of a “missing person” to that of a “criminal investigation of suspected murder”, which will hopefully open channels for an international cooperation possibly with Scotland Yard. This should have been done right from the beginning. However, the Hungarian police in Györ refused to treat the case as suspected murder and by doing so valuable time and evidence was lost. There is a complicated procedure ahead unless the Hungarian authorities at the highest possible level take the decisions, as in the case of Ophelie Bretnacher, a missing French student who’s case is now investigated for kidnap, and or human robbery, instead of a missing person.

Only 4 months later after Eva was seen for the last time, the Györ Police finally offered 1,000,000 Ft reward . Now, 5 months on the Police is still offering the reward for Information leading to the where about of Eva Rhodes.

Please help us to find Eva!

e-mail: findevarhodes@gmail.com
Tel:0043 1 535 75 16 [Austria]
JM February, 2009
www.csizmaskandur.com



What happened to my Mother?
Evi Rhodes (as she was known to her friends) much loved mother and grandmother, and the midwife to the birth of several thousand new unexpected lives, who brought joy to hundreds of families over a twenty year period and provided sanctuary to those animals and people who could no longer cope with the rigors of the modern world. She was last seen on the 10th September 2008, she was extremely close to her grand daughter Agatha and had devoted the second half of her life to the charity she set up in the 1990's The Puss in Boots Trust, to provide a twenty four hour/ 365 day a year service for animal rescue and re-homing in north western Hungary. We are proud to have been part of that work and devastated by her loss.

The local police have not in our opinion behaved in a normal manner regarding her disappearance and we believe murder. Her home was never sealed as a crime scene, forensic experts did not attend the scene until months after she had gone missing, by which time press and hundreds of individuals had been through the property pilfering and ransacking. Everything in her home has been stolen, down to the kitchen sink and the water pipes and it was not until after three months that the police even put out a missing persons poster and that was only under intense pressure from the family and European media coverage.br />
The Rt Hon David Miliband and Sir Malcolm Rifkind (as our local MP) have been contacted in this regard and no response has been forthcoming so far. We wonder why the Hungarian police did not contact the British Police to help in the search, they say that they have been 'hampered' in their search by lack of equipment, yet Scotland Yard are more than happy to cooperate when invited to do so. Crucially this help has never been requested.
We believe that a Policeman who had a grudge against her and a Roma man with whom she was last seen may be involved in her disappearance, and that she is no longer alive. The circumstances of her disappearance are suspicious and she would never have abandoned her life - her animals, grand daughter and daughter.
Sophia Barta and Agatha Barta. Feb 2009.