Families of jailed 60 Minutes crew are in a ‘living nightmare’

THE families of the jailed 60 Minutes crew have a message for all the haters — don’t judge our loved ones until you know the full story.

supplied publicity photos of Channel 9 Sixty Minutes journalist, Tara Brown.

THE families of the jailed 60 Minutes crew are engulfed in “a living nightmare” and many haven’t even told their kids where “mummy or daddy” really is.

The partners of the detained crew, star reporter Tara Brown, senior producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson, sound recordist David Ballment, have told of their fears, anguish and frustration as the kidnap crisis enters its second week.

In a joint statement to news.com.au, Cara Williamson, Denise Rice, John McAvoy and Laura Battistel, said it was comforting at least to know their loved ones were in “good heath: and were being “well looked after” by Lebanese authorities.

Despite that, the last few day had been awful.

“This is a living nightmare. It’s hard to imagine it could be any tougher,” the statement read.

The families were leaning on each other to get through the ordeal. Their first reaction was to immediately fly to Beirut to give the jailed journalists “love and support” — but diplomatic and legal advice was to remain in Australia.

The desire to be there had to be “ balanced against the advice from the people on the ground and that’s to stay here. We all have families here to care for and be with. But, thankfully we are getting some messages through.”

Some of the young children, including Brown and Mr McAvoy’s children Jack, 7, and Tom, 5, are yet to be told what was happening.

The detained 60 Minutes crew: Tara Brown, David Ballment, Stephen Rice and Ben Williamson.

Sally Faulkner with her two children, Noah, four, and Lahela, five.

“It’s not an easy conversation to have with a five or seven year old who ask as they go to sleep each night when mummy or daddy is coming home. Understandably we are all anxious and worried sick.”

They denied reports they were being denied information, labelling them “beyond absurd”.

“The updates are daily. And hugely valued. Nine is sharing whatever it knows as they hear about it. It is a day by day proposition, complicated by the fact that there is so little to go on and of course none of us are familiar with the Lebanese legal system.”

There has been criticism and debate from former journalists and the public about the merits of the story and whether it was something 60 Minutes should have gotten involved with.

The group said the team were doing their jobs covering an important story.

“As it turns out, a very important story. It’s what they do. It’s what they have been doing brilliantly for years. Obviously, this time, something went wrong.”

They appealed to the critics to hold off judging until all the facts were known.

“But if we have one message it’s that people who have been so quick to judge should at least wait until all the facts are known. We haven’t spoken to our partners since before they were arrested. Very few of the facts are clear at this stage. If we don’t have all the facts, how can anyone else?

Civilians and policemen stand near the entrance of a courthouse where the 60 Minutes crew were detained. Picture: AP

Reports yesterday suggested the mother at the centre of the kidnapping controversy, Sally Faulkner, has been accused of “throwing everybody under the bus’’ by doing deals with her estranged husband Ali Elamine in her bid for freedom.

Adam Whittington, the founder of Child Abduction Recovery International (CARI) and chief planner of the botched operation, told News Corp Australia from his jail cell.

A Nine Network spokeswoman told news.com.au on Sunday morning the broadcaster was totally focused on getting the crew back safely.

“There are gaps in what we know and until they’re back and we can talk with them and see what happened we won’t know.”

The spokeswoman said the 60 Minutes crew were next back before a judge in Beirut on Monday evening Australian time,so they were mindful of making any comments until that appearance was over and a clearer picture emerged.

60 Minutes staff in Sydney where recording an item to air on the show tonight which would address the kidnap crisis, but there “limits with what we can say”, the spokeswoman said.

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