British woman left living on streets of Peru after violent robbery on dream holiday
A 32-year-old Brit has been left living on the streets of Cusco, Peru, following a horrific robbery.
Since last month, Hannah Almond, from Grimsby, has been left without any money or belongings in the South American country.
The Mirror reports that the fashion graduate was violently robbed by a group of locals, who torched everything she had, including her passport.
Unable to contact her family, Hannah has been sleeping rough since the incident, which occurred after she arrived in Peru for a yoga retreat.
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The Brit was reported to have vanished over the weekend, though, with the MailOnline revealing that she's been missing since Saturday, 24 May, after reportedly becoming friends with an elderly homeless man at a camp under Belén Bridge in the Peruvian city.
Mark Atkinson, the British Consul in Peru, spoke to Peruvian media and confirmed that the 32-year-old first arrived in Peru in early March.
He explained that Hannah didn't plan to overstay her 90-day tourist visa, though her official immigration status is now up in the air. Atkinson also noted that her visa had expired.
"She is in an illegal situation," he said.
While the British embassy in Peru is working with local police, they have also offered Hannah support with hotel accommodations and money for food. But no matter what, the 32-year-old seemed to return to the same bridge, Atkinson claimed.
Hannah's friends have since launched a GoFundMe page to try and raise enough funds to send her relatives to Peru to find her and bring her home. According to the GoFundMe post, she is also 'deeply fearful and unable to accept support from the embassy or local authorities'.
One of her family friends described her as 'one of the most pure loving souls' and that she is 'very generous and always wants to help people' to MailOnline.
"She does not trust anyone after getting robbed and assaulted. Some locals burned all her belongings from under the bridge," they claimed. "She was contacting her mum every now and then through other people's phones.
"Police went to check on her two days ago and she has not been seen since. Cusco is a trafficking hotspot, so it's very worrying."
The GoFundMe page set up for Hannah confirmed that she had gone to Peru in March for 'an adventure' but ended up being 'robbed and assaulted', noting that her mental health has 'severely declined'.
"She is extremely vulnerable, isolated, and not safe living on the streets of Peru," the page added, as Sophie Wallace, the friend organising the fundraiser, wrote: "We are desperate to get her the care and safety she deserves. We need to bring her home."
Statistics show that over 100,000 Brits make the journey to Peru annually, with many stopping in Cusco, which is the gateway to the famous Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, MailOnline reports.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued some worrying travel advice about the area and its prominent robberies.
"Personal attacks, including sexual assaults, are infrequent but do happen, mostly in the Cusco and Arequipa areas," it advises.
You can donate to the GoFundMe, which will fund the flights, accommodation, and food for Hannah's family and friends in Peru here.
A FCDO Spokesperson said in a statement to LADbible: “We have been providing support to a British woman in Peru and are in contact with her family and the local authorities.”
Joshua Nair