Police have released what is believed to be the last known image of a missing Brazilian academic, as investigators intensify their focus on the possibility she took a boat from an Essex boatyard. Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, a 30-year-old psychologist, has been out of contact with family and friends since March 3, after meeting a friend at the University of Essex in Colchester.
Chilling CCTV Footage Emerges
Essex Police have now issued a new CCTV image captured just after midnight on March 4, showing a person, believed to be Ms Figueiredo Barreto, apparently jumping over a fence into a boatyard in Brightlingsea. This follows earlier footage released of her boarding a bus hours before her disappearance. Her distinctive white tote bag, emblazoned with the words 'people over profit', was discovered near the boatyard a week later, heightening concerns.
Boat Investigation Intensifies
Authorities confirmed they are 'aware of a boat having been taken from its mooring in Brightlingsea' in the early hours of March 4. The vessel was later found adrift near Bradwell-on-Sea and returned to Brightlingsea, where it is now subject to a detailed police search. Detective Superintendent Anna Granger stated, 'The discovery of Ms Figueiredo Barreto's bag has meant that our focus on this line of inquiry has clearly intensified.'
Between 12.16am and 12.36am on March 4, when the boat was unmoored, there is no clear CCTV footage identifying who took it. However, police are actively exploring the possibility that it was Ms Figueiredo Barreto. The boat's route from Brightlingsea to Bradwell has consistently guided the extensive search operations.
Desperate Search Efforts Expand
The search for the missing academic continued this week with teams of police officers, coastguards, and volunteers scouring the banks and estuary of the River Colne near Colchester. The operation has been expanded to cover hundreds of square miles, including the Rivers Blackwater and Crouch further down the Essex coast. Detective Superintendent Granger detailed the efforts, noting searches along the River Blackwater, Dengie peninsula, River Crouch, and 2.5km of the southern coast of Mersea Island, aided by air support and marine units.
Family and Friends Express Concern
Ms Figueiredo Barreto's mother, Gleyz Bezerra Figueiredo Barreto, and her partner, Janilson Gomes Da Silveira, arrived from South America and attended a police press conference on Tuesday, accompanied by her friend Liliane Silva. Ms Silva, a PhD student and lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of Essex, had been assisting Ms Figueiredo Barreto with a written project before her disappearance.
Ms Silva expressed deep worry, stating that her friend 'probably is not in a good place' and may be 'out of her mind, upset, struggling.' She recalled seeing Ms Figueiredo Barreto just before she took the bus, describing her as 'really concerned, really worried' and unusually quiet. Ms Silva speculated that Ms Figueiredo Barreto might have taken the bus in the wrong direction, accidentally heading to Brightlingsea, a place she had never visited before.
Appeal for Public Assistance
Police are urging anyone with CCTV of the harbour area or boat owners in Brightlingsea to check their footage and vessels for any unusual signs. Detective Superintendent Granger emphasized, 'Our determination to find Vitoria remains incredibly strong. We know the huge concern her loved ones have, and that is what's driving on each and every officer involved.'
Ms Figueiredo Barreto was last seen wearing a dark coat, a blue turtleneck jumper, light blue jeans, and dark trainers with white soles during her 30-minute bus journey from Wivenhoe to Brightlingsea on the afternoon of March 3. As the search persists, authorities and her family hold onto hope for her safe return.
