Police have released new details in the search for Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, a 30-year-old Brazilian psychologist who vanished over three weeks ago while visiting the University of Essex. She was last seen on March 3 and reported missing the following day.
CCTV footage shows Barreto boarding the 87 bus in Wivenhoe at around 1pm and alighting 30 minutes later in Brightlingsea. She was wearing a dark coat, blue turtleneck jumper, light blue jeans and black trainers. Police believe she then jumped a fence into a boatyard and may have taken a boat from a pontoon in the early hours of March 4.
Detective Superintendent Anna Granger said officers are working to fill a CCTV gap between 12.16am and 12.36am on March 4, when a person unmoored a fishing boat. A laptop believed to belong to Barreto was found in Brightlingsea on March 14, and a bag was discovered near Copperas Road on March 9.
Police are seeking access to Barreto's phone and banking data, which are registered outside the UK, with support from the Brazilian Embassy. A friend, Fernanda Silvestre, told Brazilian media that Barreto's phone activated emergency mode and sent a signal pointing to the sea, raising fears of human trafficking.
Essex Police have expanded their CCTV search in Brightlingsea and are appealing for any information that could help locate the missing woman.
