Saturday (18 October) marks the fifth anniversary of the disappearance in Costa Rica of British journalist Michael Dixon. He walked out of his hotel one evening in the seaside town of Tamarindo and never came back.
His brother, David, has - though his own efforts - turned up several leads that indicate Michael was the victim of a violent crime.
But he and his family are critical of official apathy. They argue that the Costa Rican and British authorities have done nothing to ensure a proper investigation into Michael's disappearance.
They have appealed to prime minister David Cameron and to the former Costa Rican president Laura Chinchilla.
David said: "The British foreign office used to send us a monthly, then a quarterly, update on the case. But now we don't even get those any more.
"Britain has one of the biggest consular and diplomatic services in the world. Its duty is to protect British citizens. But, in reality, unless there is a media outcry, the machine doesn't care".
Some 45,000 British nationals visit Costa Rica every year and the country is depicted as a safe haven for tourists. But, according to information gathered by the Dixons, in 2009 alone - the year Michael went missing - 12 foreign tourists to the central American country were murdered or vanished without trace.
Michael's mother, Lynn Dixon, said: "Our only hope is that someone comes forward with information. I know it's been a long time. But Tamarindo is so small that someone must have seen something.
"If they're afraid to come forward, we promise that they will be treated in strict confidence. We will never have peace until we know what happened to our loved one".
Dixon worked in Brussels as editor of a business magazine, Pulp & Paper International.
Source: David Dixon. For more information, visit: helpfindmichaeldixon.com If you can help, email info@helpfindmichaeldixon.com
