Jade Ecobichon-Gray (30) was traumatised after her mobile phone, bank card and money were stolen when a man wielding a knife mugged her in a tourist area of the capital, Rio de Janeiro, on Saturday.
The former substance misuse therapist, who is helping children as a volunteer in Rocinha, a large slum known as a favela, called her parents after the incident in a panic.
Her mother, Karen Ecobichon-Gray, then tried to call her phone. She said: ‘Someone answered and was speaking in Portuguese and we were thinking: “Is it the person who robbed her? Maybe it’s the police, or maybe it’s not.”
‘I quickly ran to my neighbour, Teresa Moinhos, who speaks Portuguese, and said: “Help, help! I need you to speak to these people – my daughter has been mugged.”
‘She worked out it was the police and managed to get the name of the station and the officer’s name.’
Read the full story in Tuesday’s JEP.
Get the paper delivered to your door, on mobile, tablet and PC from just 52p a day with JEP Extra
