Essex Police have officially announced the discovery of a laptop during the search for missing psychologist Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, following her initial report as missing eleven days ago. The 30-year-old Brazilian was reported missing on March 4th by a friend who was with her at Essex University the day before. Vitoria was last seen on CCTV footage jumping over a fence into a boatyard in Brightlingsea after taking a bus journey from Wivenhoe on March 3rd.
Despite extensive searches by officers, Vitoria has not been located yet. Essex Police have expanded their search area to Bradwell-on-Sea, near where a boat believed to be associated with Vitoria was found. On March 15, a laptop believed to belong to Vitoria was found in Brightlingsea, and potential sightings of her in the Bradwell area are being investigated.
Authorities have also taken Vitoria’s family on a boat journey similar to the one she may have taken. One of the leads being pursued is whether Vitoria untied a boat in Brightlingsea on the night of March 4th. The search efforts have been intensified, with the community urged to display Brazilian flags to help locate Vitoria.
Detective Superintendent Anna Granger expressed the dedication of the search teams to reunite Vitoria with her family, highlighting the community’s support in the search efforts. The public is encouraged to report any sightings or provide CCTV information to aid in the ongoing investigation.