Five mysteries in search for missing woman who vanished 23 days ago – boat, laptop and CCTV
Essex Police has shared several updates with the public on missing Brazilian psychologist Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, 30, who vanished more than three weeks ago near Colchester, Essex
Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto was last seen over three weeks ago (Image: Essex Police)
Police have shared updates in their search for a missing Brazilian psychologist who vanished on a visit to the University of Essex.
Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, 30, disappeared more than three weeks ago after she stopped contacting her loved ones on March 3. The academic was reported missing on March 4 and cops revealed the 30-year-old made a 30-minute bus journey from Wivenhoe to the coastal town of Brightlingsea at 2.30pm on March 3. Police shared several updates on the missing woman and said they have scoured a “hugely significant area of land and coastline” but she has not been found yet.
The academic was last seen wearing a dark coat, a blue turtleneck jumper, light blue jeans and black trainers.
The Brazilian woman vanished in Essex(Image: Essex Police)
Bus journey
Police said CCTV footage caught the academic boarding the 87 bus on Boundary Road, Wivenhoe, just after 1pm and got off 30 minutes later in Bellfield Avenue, Brightlingsea. The footage appears to show the woman travelling alone and it is not clear why she travelled to the coastal town.
Barreto boarding the 87 bus in Essex(Image: Essex Police / SWNS)
Unmoored boat
Essex Police said they found CCTV footage of a person, believed to be Barreto, jumping over a fence into the boat yard. Cops think the woman may have taken a boat from a seaside town pontoon in the early hours of March 4.
The force added there is still no clear footage to be able to conclusively say it was Ms Barreto who unmoored one of the boats. Detective Superintendent Anna Granger, on Wednesday, said: “We’re working to narrow the CCTV gap from 12.16am on March 4 and the time at which we know a person unmoors a fishing boat from a pontoon, at about 12.36am.”
CCTV footage of a person, believed to be Barreto, at Brightlingsea boatyard(Image: PA)
Latest CCTV
In a new update, police said the force has expanded it’s CCTV search in Brightlingsea, in the hours between her being spotted in the Hurst Green area – around 2.35pm on March 3 and 12.16am on March 4.
Essex Police said it now believed there is a sighting of the academic on land between Back Waterside Lane and Mill Street. Cops added that the CCTV spotted a person, believed to be the missing woman, at 3.33pm on March 3.
The force added that it is also trying to get Barreto’s phone and banking data to hopefully further their investigation. Granger said: “We know this international work has the support of the Vitoria’s loved ones and the Brazilian Embassy. Vitoria’s banking and communications being registered outside of the UK does pose a challenge and we have sought to gain access to these through the correct channels as quickly as possible.”
The woman was reported missing on March 4(Image: PA)
Laptop
A laptop believed to belong to the missing Brazilian woman was found in Brightlingsea, on March 14. No further updates have been shared on this laptop or if police were able to find anything that helped their investigation on the device. Police added that a bag owned by the missing woman was found close to Copperas Road on Monday 9 March.
Disturbing theory
One of the woman’s friends expressed fears Barreto could have fallen victim to human trafficking. Fernanda Silvestre, a friend and fellow psychologist, told Brazilian tabloid newspaper O Povo, that Barreto’s phone was paired with hers and activated the emergency mode.
This meant a signal was sent and it pointed to the sea. The friend, speaking to another Brazilian newspaper, said: “Her mum is in London and they are taking the necessary steps but due to the seriousness of the situation, searches need to be carried out at sea and other European countries need to be alerted because from the clues we have, we realise this may be a case of human trafficking.”
