Australia Australia - Marion Barter - Missing After Trip to UK - June 1997 #21

[TootsieFootsie]

Do we know if he’s still in respite/aged care? His vulnerable ‘house mates’ need protection from him.

I hope he doesn't involve anyone in a get rich quick scheme that will more than "fund their retirement".

I'm thinking that it might not take too much to get the signature of someone vulnerable in a nursing home...

 

[HinterlandObserver]

Do we know if he’s still in respite/aged care? His vulnerable ‘house mates’ need protection from him.

On 22 August I checked if he was still there and he was not.

 

[KiwiNZ]

On 22 August I checked if he was still there and he was not.

I feel like putting him in aged care was all part of the act to play up the defenseless old man to the coroner

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Maybe putting him in the home was just a bit of respite for his wife.

 

[HinterlandObserver]

I feel like putting him in aged care was all part of the act to play up the defenseless old man to the coroner

Personally agree. Might have even said he was showing signs of dementia, he probably put in the performances of his life to establish he’s not compos in prep for the coming criminal investigation.
IMOO MOO

 

[KiwiNZ]

Maybe putting him in the home was just a bit of respite for his wife.

she doesn't deserve any respite from him IMO

 

[CuriousKat99]

she doesn't deserve any respite from him IMO

Perhaps you’re right but wouldn’t it be fantastic if that respite gave her some space to reconsider her stance of saying as little as possible. She must know more than she is letting on.

 

[CuriousKat99]

On 22 August I checked if he was still there and he was not.

He’s probably just used up all his free respite days for the year.

 

[CuriousKat99]

I agree. The silence is deafening…
the authorities are possibly having to make sure that all the facts are substantiated, as there are many eyes cast on this inquest.
Hopefully Sally will have an outcome soon

SL has commented that there is an issue with the MPMB FB page preventing them from putting up any posts at the moment.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

The FB must be back to normal. I don’t see the above message. There is a sweet post about Sally hoping to arrange a memorial plaque to her mother (in lieu of a gravesite?) at the Norman Lindsay Gallery, National Trust. Gosh, I wish her well. That looks like a wonderful place. — On another note I donated to the fund for Ghislaine. I know TLV folks are not popular here but it feels good to do something positive, like Sally’s plan for a memorial plaque. An antidote to RB’s hideousness. FWIW and wholly my own thoughts and opinion.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I was mistaken. The post is still up and she cannot update the page. Her remark is in the comments. The error message she gets says “Sorry, you can’t post to FB from this account: For security reasons your account has limited access to the site for a few days. If you have any questions, please contact our Help Centre.”

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Sally has moved to IG to make updates since the account on FB is still not allowing the moderators to post. For those interested go to IG and search for missing person Marion Barter.

 

[BabeBlues]

I’m watching ‘Con Girl’ about fraudster Samantha Azzopardi. So many similarities!

I have been listening to the podcast Finding Samantha, and I was constantly thinking about RB, some of the similarities are incredible. I can't believe how easy it was for her to obtain fake passports, ID and to travel using false documents. She was able to use social media to create fake profiles which people could look her up and assume she was genuinely who she said she was.

Mind blown!!

 

[KinseyFan]

I have been listening to the podcast Finding Samantha, and I was constantly thinking about RB, some of the similarities are incredible. I can't believe how easy it was for her to obtain fake passports, ID and to travel using false documents. She was able to use social media to create fake profiles which people could look her up and assume she was genuinely who she said she was.

Mind blown!!

Ooh I’ll listen to that too. What struck me was the warped psychology behind it all. And the ‘con’ approaches used. Isolating victims, instil a sense of urgency around false narratives, etc etc. These people are so dangerous. Horrible that our systems don’t protect victims.

 

[BabeBlues]

A lot of us have asked what motivates RB when he doesn't appear to make a lot of money from his (alleged) cons looking at the meagre life he appears to live? I know it may be that it has funded his travel and potentially paid for properties, but my interest piqued when I heard part of an interview with psychologist and author, Dr Maria Konnikova who wrote 'The Confidence Game' among other books, she also the host of a podcast The Grift about con artists and the lives they ruin. ‎The Grift on Apple Podcasts

These are her words on the ABC Unravel podcast Snowball (Ep 7) with Ollie Ward. When Ollie met Lezlie - ABC listen

I thought this was a very interesting analysis.

MK was asked what motivates the con when people don't get away with a lot of money. She said "That is not at all uncommon, I think it' s a huge misperception among the public that con artists are motivated by money, I really think that's not it at all because for the most part con artists don't make a lot of money and are incredibly intelligent and could've made much more money in more legitimate professions. So I don't actually think it's about financial gain at all, I think that why they do it is power. They're motivated in the sense of power over other people, control over other people's lives, the idea that they're shaping other people's reality in a way that they want to shape it. This is something that can be incredibly intoxicating, and I think that that feeling of power is actually one of the reasons that con artists are more often than not, and by more often than not I mean like in 90% of cases, true con artists are repeat offenders and given the opportunity to go straight (so to speak) they don't take it, they won't take it even though they say they will and they want to because they're always driven back to that and they are unable to let go of that rush of power over other people. I mean it is intoxicating if you think about it, you're playing God, you're controlling other people's lives, you're crafting their realities, you're creating entire worlds and people believe you."

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Yes I think romance scammers get a thrill out of taking a victim for all they have. leaving them with nothing.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

A lot of us have asked what motivates RB when he doesn't appear to make a lot of money from his (alleged) cons looking at the meagre life he appears to live? I know it may be that it has funded his travel and potentially paid for properties, but my interest piqued when I heard part of an interview with psychologist and author, Dr Maria Konnikova who wrote 'The Confidence Game' among other books, she also the host of a podcast The Grift about con artists and the lives they ruin. ‎The Grift on Apple Podcasts

These are her words on the ABC Unravel podcast Snowball (Ep 7) with Ollie Ward. When Ollie met Lezlie - ABC listen

I thought this was a very interesting analysis.

MK was asked what motivates the con when people don't get away with a lot of money. She said "That is not at all uncommon, I think it' s a huge misperception among the public that con artists are motivated by money, I really think that's not it at all because for the most part con artists don't make a lot of money and are incredibly intelligent and could've made much more money in more legitimate professions. So I don't actually think it's about financial gain at all, I think that why they do it is power. They're motivated in the sense of power over other people, control over other people's lives, the idea that they're shaping other people's reality in a way that they want to shape it. This is something that can be incredibly intoxicating, and I think that that feeling of power is actually one of the reasons that con artists are more often than not, and by more often than not I mean like in 90% of cases, true con artists are repeat offenders and given the opportunity to go straight (so to speak) they don't take it, they won't take it even though they say they will and they want to because they're always driven back to that and they are unable to let go of that rush of power over other people. I mean it is intoxicating if you think about it, you're playing God, you're controlling other people's lives, you're crafting their realities, you're creating entire worlds and people believe you."

So true. I was married to a man who perpetrated fraud. He was the smartest person I've ever known and could have had a brilliant career at many things. He only defrauded his family, and needless to say, his childhood was horrible. I always believed he was subconsciously wreaking revenge. The reasons don't matter. What matters is the wake of destruction fraudsters and con-artists leave. My children are still affected by learning our life was a sham, and their father was a crook.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

So true. I was married to a man who perpetrated fraud. He was the smartest person I've ever known and could have had a brilliant career at many things. He only defrauded his family, and needless to say, his childhood was horrible. I always believed he was subconsciously wreaking revenge. The reasons don't matter. What matters is the wake of destruction fraudsters and con-artists leave. My children are still affected by learning our life was a sham, and their father was a crook.

I'm so sorry you went through that. My father was destructive and irresponsible and it's hard to know one's entire being brought into existence was as a function of someone's disease or sickness.

A long shot on the armchair psychoanalysis here but I would say maybe RB felt so profoundly hurt and betrayed by women / his mother / society at such a very young age, his whole life purpose has been to get one back over on certain types of women and also society itself. Maybe it made him feel powerful and also like things were more equal in the world? But the main thing is with any disease and any predator, they must be arrested and prevented from harming others no matter what their internal motivations and justifications are.

 

[KinseyFan]

There also seems to be a twisted belief (amongst predators/fraudsters) that it’s the victims fault for being so naive/‘easily’ swindled etc. They don’t seem to have the same default of trust, as most people have. And they prey on this. They’re so dangerous.

 

[CuriousKat99]

So true. I was married to a man who perpetrated fraud. He was the smartest person I've ever known and could have had a brilliant career at many things. He only defrauded his family, and needless to say, his childhood was horrible. I always believed he was subconsciously wreaking revenge. The reasons don't matter. What matters is the wake of destruction fraudsters and con-artists leave. My children are still affected by learning our life was a sham, and their father was a crook.

It’s very painful for anyone to go through that experience. (I am currently married to someone like that and can’t see any way out that would not lead to financial ruin and/or murder). Unfortunately these people seem to be driven by their twisted emotional brain (with an overwhelming desire for power and control), their rational brain only being used as a backup. I do believe it’s still important to understand and articulate their behaviour in order to be able to take preventative measures, call it out and put a stop to it. Imagine Marion in 1997, had she gone to the police, what would she be reporting? And what would the response have been? I’m guessing she would have been told she brought it upon herself. Even today, we are only just starting to get coercive control legislation implemented in Australia. It’s taken years of discussion and analysis of the behaviour of these people plus many murders. At least 26 years later we have words to describe what RB did to his victims and there would be a sizeable portion of our population who would agree that RB’s behaviour was criminal and that he should face serious consequences. However, we are still waiting for justice.