The British tourist filmed collapsing unconscious on Rio de Janeiro’s popular Ipanema beach after being allegedly drugged and robbed by three women has spoken about his ordeal. The first-time visitor to Brazil, a 21-year-old engineering student, re-lived the nightmare experience as he claimed he and a friend were offered spiked cocktails. He said: “I took one, two sips and then nothing.”
He added: “Maybe I’ll come back one day, but for now I think it’s enough of this country.” Footage of the young man collapsing on the sand after his drink was allegedly spiked went viral yesterday. The victim spoke for the first time about the ordeal with a Brazilian media outlet. The video interview took place overnight, outside the Brit’s holiday accommodation and alongside a second British student who had also been targeted.
The other Brit, a fellow engineering student who, like his pal, was not named, revealed that, before losing consciousness, he threw his mobile phone into the sand. He told Brazilian media outlet G1, as he revealed he had been unable to recover the mobile: “I must have realised what was going on and threw my phone.”
The sickening crime occurred during the British pair’s midweek night out last week, when they were approached by three women at a bar in the Rio neighbourhood of Lapa. They had been in Brazil for 10 days and had reportedly travelled to the South American country to celebrate the graduation of one of the university students.
They agreed to get into a taxi with the women, who allegedly offered them Caipirinhas laced with sedatives at a beach bar they ended up in in the early hours of last Thursday morning.
The suspects were then filmed leaving in another taxi, reportedly with the student’s mobile phone, which was filmed collapsing on the sand. They reportedly used the phone to steal an estimated £2,000. The victim’s bank is now expected to reimburse.
Amanda Couto Deloca, 23, Mayara Katelyn Americo da Silva, 26, and Raiane Campos de Oliveira, 27, were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the ordeal.
Rio de Janeiro police said yesterday the 21-year-old student seen collapsing on the beach initially reported he had been robbed of around £15,000, although they have now estimated his losses at around £2,000.
The taxi driver who took the women and two British tourists to Ipanema has been quizzed by police but ruled out as a suspect. Police is looking into whether the women were helped by others.
A teenage deliveryman has been credited with aiding the holidaymakers, calling an ambulance and helping police catch the suspects. The British pair thanked him in their video interview overnight.
The mystery Good Samaritan, who also filmed the shock images of the 21-year-old Brit collapsing unconscious on the sand when he realised something was amiss, told Brazilian media: “He was unresponsive. He was drooling.
“His eye was open. His face was in the sand. I called the emergency services, and they confirmed police and an ambulance were on their way.”
He also filmed the video showing the suspects who were later arrested fleeing the scene.
Police chief Patricia Alemany said investigators were still awaiting the results of toxicology tests to find out exactly what drug had been used to spike the British men’s drinks and had also requested CCTV images from the area to try to identify possible accomplices.
Criminal law professor Ronny Nunes, outlining the difficulties in convicting ‘Goodnight Cinderella’ thieves, said: “Generally the victims of this type of crime are foreign tourists. This person files a report at the police station, and the investigation begins.
“When it is necessary to consult this person, to ask them to identify someone, or even when proceedings have already been initiated, to ask them to go to court, before the judge and prosecutor, to confirm their statement, they are sometimes not found. When the statement, that first one at the police station, is not ratified in court, conviction becomes very difficult, and acquittal is imposed.”
