She flew 1,600miles to UK, CCTV tracked her across seaside town… then she vanished – mystery surrounds missing woman

MYSTERY surrounds the disappearance of a Brazilian woman who vanished from a UK seaside town over six months ago. Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, 31, hasn’t been seen since the early hours of March 4, after meeting a pal at Essex University in Colchester. Vitoria hasn’t been seen since the early hours of March 4 Credit: Facebook CCTV footage shows Vitoria boarding the number 87 bus at Wivenhoe Credit: PA Vitoria, a clinical psychologist from Fortaleza, Brazil, attended a conference in Morocco before she travelled 1,600 miles and arrived in the UK on February 2. And in one of the last confirmed sightings of her she was seen boarding in a bus, before she then vanished. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Snippets of CCTV appears to show her movements – but six months on cops have still be unable to find out what happened to her. She was staying in the Southend area with her friend Liliane Silva when the pair met up at the University of Essex campus in Wivenhoe on March 3. A woman believed to be Vitoria is seen on CCTV at 12.16am at the marina Credit: ESSEX POLICE / McLELLAN CCTV showing Vitoria walking across Hurst Green at around 2.30pm on March 3 Credit: PA Liliane, a PhD student and lecturer in clinical psychology at the university, told the BBC Vitoria was unusually quiet when they met and “clearly not well”. On the same day, CCTV footage shows the Brazilian national boarding the number 87 bus at Wivenhoe just after 1pm. The 31-year-old is then spotted exiting the bus 30 minutes later on Bellfield Avenue in the quaint seaside town of Brightlingsea in Essex. About an hour later, she was sighted on a doorbell camera in the Hurst Green area standing on the side of the road. Most read in The Sun Cops are desperately seeking answers to uncover Vitoria’s whereabouts Credit: Essex Police A woman thought to be Vitoria is seen at 3.33pm in a field between Back Waterside Lane and Mill Street in Brightlingsea Credit: PA New CCTV footage then emerged of a person, believed to be Vitoria, walking across field south of Hurst Green. Shortly after midnight on March 4, CCTV shows her jumping over a fence into a boatyard in Brightlingsea at 12.16am. Her movements were then captured at an industrial site close to the Brightlingsea Creek and the marina at 12.22am. Another clip then shows a person, believed to be Vitoria, on the water in a rowing boat as they move further into the harbour. Footage potentially shows Vitoria on the water in a rowing boat moving further into the harbour Credit: Essex Police Vitoria’s friends and family urged the Brazilian community in Essex to display Brazilian flags Credit: Essex Police Vitoria was last seen wearing a dark coat, a blue turtleneck jumper, light blue jeans and black trainers. The psychologist was also carrying a white shoulder bag with the words “people over profit”, which was discovered by cops at the industrial site days later on March 9. Then, Vitoria’s laptop was located in Brightlingsea – where she was last captured on video. At around midday on March 4, a boat was also located adrift in the water close to Bradwell-on-Sea after being unmoored near Copperas Road where Vitoria’s bag was discovered. Det Supt Anna Granger (left) who is leading the search with Vitoria’s mother, Gleyz Bezerra Figueiredo Barreto (middle) and Vitoria’s friend Liliane Silva (right) Credit: JOHN McLELLAN CCTV showing Vitoria walking through an industrial site on the south side of Copperas Road Credit: PA An orange horseshoe-shaped buoyancy was missing from the boat as Essex Police began to explore the possibility that Vitoria unanchored the vessel from a pontoon. The boat did not appear to have its engine started, and drifted out to Bradwell-on-Sea where it was discovered. Emergency services including an air support services, a marine unit and specialist search officers scanned land, coastline and water in search for her. Vitoria’s friends and family urged the Brazilian community in Essex to display Brazilian flags in hope they would attract her attention and create a welcoming space for her. Cops released a series of chilling tapes of her last known whereabouts as they continue to scour for answers. Vitoria’s sister Marina issued a heartfelt plea urging people to keep checking properties, outbuildings and hiding spaces for any trace of her. Police examinations of her phone and financial records have not found any evidence of significant or unexpected activity. And with no new leads, police continue to appeal to any information about what may have happened to Vitoria. Comment now