Dad 'very concerned' as British journalist missing in Brazil
A British dad has spoken out about the ‘very worrying’ disappearance of his journalist daughter, who was last seen in Brazil and hasn’t been heard from in 12 days.
Charlotte Alice Peet, 32, is a foreign correspondent who has worked for Al Jazeera, The Times and The Evening Standard. She worked in Rio two years ago, before returning to London and heading back to Brazil in November - without telling her parents she was flying to São Paulo.
Her father Derek told Sky News: “I wouldn't say that it was normal, there was something on her mind obviously otherwise she would have let us know.”
She is thought to have contacted a friend in Rio de Janeiro on WhatsApp asking if they were able to host her, but they said they weren’t accommodate her.
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The last she was heard from was on 8 February, when she contacted a friend in São Paulo telling them she was thinking of heading to Rio.
A few days later, Charlotte’s family contacted the friend saying they’d lost touch with her, before reporting her as a missing person to the police.
Derek said: "It's very worrying but I don't have any more to say, I'm very concerned but I just don't know what's going on, we're just trying to pick up the pieces really."
The case is being investigated by police in São Paulo, with assistance from Brazil's Department of Homicides and Personal Protection (DHPP).
The family have provided police with a copy of Charlotte’s passport and the details of her flight.
Derek said: "She was then traced to Gatwick Airport and was found to have boarded a plane to São Paulo and then the trail went cold.”
The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in Brazil (ACIE) said it felt ‘concern over her disappearance and solidarity with her family and friends’.
President Edmar Figueiredo added: “Her disappearance has sparked growing concern among colleagues and journalists in the region, with ACIE calling for intensified efforts to locate her as soon as possible.”
Sao Paulo’s public security office told LADbible: "The case is investigated by the 5th Missing Persons Police Station of the DHPP, which carries out efforts to locate the missing person and clarify the facts."
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) added: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has been reported as missing in Brazil and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Topics: World News
Simon Fearn