SHE FLEW 1,600 MILES TO THE UK — CCTV TRACKED HER ACROSS A SEASIDE TOWN, THEN VITORIA VANISHED

A Brazilian clinical psychologist travelled to Britain after a conference in Morocco. Six months later, police are still trying to solve the mystery of what happened after CCTV captured her entering a Brightlingsea boatyard in the early hours of the morning.

A JOURNEY THAT ENDED IN MYSTERY

Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, 31, travelled from Brazil to the UK earlier this year after attending a conference in Morocco.

The clinical psychologist from Fortaleza arrived in Britain on February 2 and was staying in the Southend area with her friend Liliane Silva.

On March 3, Vitoria travelled to the University of Essex’s Wivenhoe campus to meet her friend.

That would be the last day her movements could be pieced together in detail.

CCTV TRACKED HER ACROSS BRIGHTLINGSEA

Police say Vitoria boarded the number 87 bus in Wivenhoe shortly after 1 p.m.

Around 30 minutes later, she got off at Bellfield Avenue in Brightlingsea.

Doorbell camera footage later captured a woman believed to be Vitoria in the Hurst Green area at around 2:30 p.m.

Another piece of CCTV showed a figure believed to be Vitoria walking across a field later that afternoon.

Then, shortly after midnight, investigators say CCTV captured her entering an industrial area near Brightlingsea Creek and the marina.

THE BOATYARD CLUE

At around 12:16 a.m. on March 4, Vitoria was captured on CCTV in the boatyard.

Police later released footage showing a person believed to be her climbing a fence into the privately operated site.

Six minutes later, another camera appeared to capture her walking through the nearby industrial area.

Investigators began examining the possibility that she had entered the water or taken a boat from the area.

A boat was subsequently discovered adrift near Bradwell-on-Sea.

Police said the vessel’s engine had not been started, raising questions about how it ended up drifting away from Brightlingsea.

HER BAG AND LAPTOP WERE FOUND

The investigation also produced two important discoveries.

A white shoulder bag carrying the words “people over profit” was found near Copperas Road in Brightlingsea several days after Vitoria disappeared.

Her laptop was also found in the area.

Police conducted extensive searches involving specialist officers, marine teams and aircraft as they attempted to establish where Vitoria went after her final known sightings.

POLICE HAVE NOT GIVEN UP

Investigators have examined Vitoria’s phone and financial activity as part of the search.

According to police, there was no significant or unexpected financial activity after her disappearance, while transactions recorded after March 3 were consistent with pre-planned subscription payments.

Officers have also appealed to residents around Brightlingsea to check garages, sheds, outbuildings and other places where someone could potentially have sought shelter.

Boat owners were asked to inspect their vessels for anything unusual that might indicate someone had been aboard.

Essex Police have repeatedly stressed that even a seemingly insignificant piece of information could help investigators establish what happened.

SIX MONTHS LATER, THE QUESTIONS REMAIN

More than six months after Vitoria disappeared, there is still no confirmed explanation for where she went.

The CCTV trail provides investigators with a detailed timeline — from the bus journey to Brightlingsea, to the field, the industrial area and finally the boatyard.

But it stops before the crucial answer.

What happened to Vitoria after she entered the boatyard in the early hours of March 4?

For her family and friends, that question remains painfully unanswered.

Essex Police continue to appeal for information as the investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone who believes they may have information about Vitoria’s movements or the Brightlingsea area is urged to contact Essex Police.