Lara Anderson’s sister, Francene, shares the news with hopeful certainty. “She wrote it”, she says with relief. “We know she’s alive and safe, but she needs help”, she told CASO ABIERTO, Prensa Ibérica’s event and investigation portal.
Lara, a renowned professor and researcher, disappeared without explanation since arriving in Madrid in April.
A 49-year-old with a brilliant career, Lara Anderson has authored numerous works, publications, and books. She is a professor, researcher, and writer who also plays the roles of mother, sister, aunt, friend. Four months passed with no trace.
According to Francene, Lara is an Associate Professor of Spanish at a prestigious university in Melbourne, Australia, where she taught language and conducted research. She took a year to focus on her work. During that period she traveled to New Zealand, intending to return to Australia in April. Francene explains this to a person close to the case: Lara left New Zealand on Easter Sunday but did not return to Australia, a chain of events that led to Madrid.
Lara stopped returning calls. The warning signs emerged: a sister diagnosed with a serious mental health condition two and a half years ago and possibly a degenerative neurological disease; proof to confirm this was needed. There was no sign of her again.
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The first alert surfaced on Easter Sunday. Lara hadn’t been seen for days, and calls to her friends and family went unanswered. The initial messages on social media read: a sister worried and asking for any information about Lara.
As the hours stretched, concerns grew. Lara was reported missing and was in Spain at the end of April, with the Australian embassy and Interpol involved. The relief arrived when Lara reportedly told representatives she did not want her family or friends to know her location, and they were told she was fine, according to Francene.
Speaking briefly with her sister might suggest calm, but the truth was different. The situation tested the family as it unfolded: Lara left behind her children, pets, and home.
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There was little action to cross-check medical history or assess disappearance risks. A file was opened, but the inquiry soon stalled. The diagnosis raised questions about mental health and possible neurodegenerative disease, and concerns persisted about whether medicine had remained consistent. The impact on her life and family was growing.
Spain: from north to south
Lara arrived in Madrid in April and was located by the Australian Embassy before being released. The family pleaded for more information, but confidentiality limited what could be shared. The investigation followed Lara through northwest Spain and, by June, into Seville, according to CASO ABIERTO, the Prensa Ibérica event and investigation portal.
Missed calls and unanswered messages weighed heavily on the family. Francene described the moment as heartbreaking but held onto a glimmer of hope: with Lara back, the family could face the future together and seek the needed support.
Described as intelligent, witty, and a strong feminist, Lara was known for a passion for art, architecture, cuisine, cinema, and gardening. She spoke excellent Spanish with a Catalan accent and was deeply devoted to her work. After months of waiting for news, Lara finally made contact with her family. Francene breathed a relieved sigh: the sister could be cared for now, and although Lara still needed help, she was alive and well. Lara’s family remains committed to her wellbeing and will continue seeking the proper assistance she requires, with the name Lara Anderson at the center of the effort.