The parents of missing Bristol student Jack O’Sullivan have lodged a formal complaint against Avon and Somerset Police, criticizing their handling of his disappearance. It has been 100 days since Jack, then 22 years old, vanished after a night out in the city.
Jack’s parents, Catherine and Paul O’Sullivan, say their ordeal has been exacerbated by what they see as police mismanagement and have expressed a loss of faith in the officers’ efforts to locate their son. Avon and Somerset Police acknowledged the family’s distress, stating they are “determined to do all that we possibly can” to find Jack.
‘CCTV Was Missed’
The family alleges that critical mistakes were made early in the search. They claim CCTV footage placing Jack in a different location at a different time was initially overlooked by the police and only discovered when Jack’s mother was permitted to view the footage herself.
To have footage of my son in their possession the day after he was missing and for someone not to see that is just ludicrous,” Catherine O’Sullivan said. And we have to live with that, thinking what would have possibly been different here if on that second day, the whole world knew that he was there – and we could have appealed to people.
Jack was last seen in the early hours of March 2. He had attended a house party with friends from his course and left in the early morning. Data indicates his phone was still in use hours after he was last seen on CCTV, but the police have yet to determine its activities despite repeated requests from the family.
Administrative Error
The family also learned last week that an administrative error within the police force resulted in Jack not being added to the national Missing People’s Register until he had been missing for more than two months.
“The errors that have cast so much doubt in our mind about what was done, when it was done, and whether it continues to be done have caused us untold damage,” Catherine O’Sullivan said. “I wouldn’t want anyone on earth to be faced with what we’ve dealt with in the last 100 days, because it is horrific.”
Police Response
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “This investigation has included reviewing and re-reviewing more than 100 hours of CCTV footage, carrying out expert-led searches by land and water involving multiple teams, including the dog unit, drone unit and specialist dive team, proactively seeking and acting on advice from national policing specialists, and issuing multiple appeals to the public and media for information.
“Sadly, despite these efforts, we’ve been unable to find Jack to date. We fully recognize the distress and anguish this has had on Jack’s family and our thoughts remain very much with them,” the spokesperson added. “We’re determined to do all that we possibly can to find the answers they so desperately need.”
The investigation into Jack O’Sullivan’s disappearance continues, and the family remains hopeful for any new leads that might bring them closer to finding their son.
