Concerns have heightened following the disappearance of a young woman in the UK five days ago, after she boarded a bus on a university campus.
Authorities have expressed deep worry for Vittoria Figueiredo-Barreto, a 30-year-old psychology student who went missing during her visit to the UK to explore the possibility of pursuing a doctorate degree. Sources indicate that she had been residing with a female acquaintance in Colchester, Essex, and had been participating in research and academic training at the University of Essex.
Friends of Vittoria have raised concerns after the Brazilian national was last seen nearly a week ago.
According to one of her friends, CCTV footage allegedly shows Vittoria disembarking from a bus and heading towards Brightlingsea Harbour in Essex. The friend has voiced fears that Vittoria may have become a victim of human trafficking.
Detective Superintendent Anna Granger of Essex Police, in a recent update on Sunday, stated, “Vitoria has been missing for almost a week now, and each passing day intensifies our concerns for her. We are closely examining CCTV footage, conducting door-to-door inquiries in the vicinity of her last sighting, and liaising with her acquaintances and family.
“Vitoria, if you are reading this, please reach out to us. We simply need to know that you are safe. I urge residents and workers in the Brightlingsea area to review their CCTV, doorbell, or dash cam footage to potentially capture her movements.”
Vittoria’s friend and fellow psychologist Fernanda Silvestre disclosed to Brazilian tabloid O Povo on Friday that Vittoria’s phone, linked with hers, activated emergency mode, indicating a location pointing towards the sea. Silvestre mentioned, “Vitoria would attend university in the morning, have lunch, and then take the bus to explore London.
“Efforts so far have included searches at hospitals, checking for individuals lacking identification, scrutinizing bank transactions, and scouring the surrounding area, but search operations at sea have not been conducted.” Silvestre indicated that her friend had visited the UK previously and planned to return to Brazil in May for a conference.
She added, “Vittoria is multilingual, charismatic, and adept at navigating different environments. She has traveled internationally on multiple occasions.” Silvestre, as reported by another Brazilian source, expressed concerns that Vittoria might have fallen prey to human trafficking.
Silvestre remarked, “Her mother is in London, taking necessary steps, but due to the gravity of the situation, searches should extend to sea areas, and other European nations should be alerted because based on the evidence available, this could be a human trafficking case.”
Essex Police issued an initial appeal on Thursday, stating, “We are seeking Vitoria Barreto, missing from the Southend region. Vitoria is 30 years old, Caucasian, of average build and height, with long dark brown hair. She was last spotted at the University of Essex campus in Wivenhoe, Colchester, on Tuesday
