UAE | Crime
Mystery deepens over missing Al Barsha resident
Missing Al Barsha resident Kerry Winter's brother Kurt Winter has been brought in by the police to speak to a Briton suspected of attacking his sister.
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:54 September 1, 2008
- South African Kurt, 41, flew into Dubai late last week at the news that his younger sister Kerry, 35, had gone missing.
- Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
Dubai: Missing Al Barsha resident Kerry Winter's brother Kurt Winter has been brought in by the police to speak to a Briton suspected of attacking his sister.
Gulf News has learnt that the suspect is an ex-boyfriend of Kerry.
South African Kurt, 41, flew into Dubai late last week at the news that his younger sister Kerry, 35, had gone missing. Neighbours reportedly saw Kerry being beaten up by a man with a baseball bat and driven off in her own car by the same person, 13 days ago.
"He told the police that when he had left her, she was fine," Kurt told Gulf News about the British suspect. "They have asked me to come and speak to him to find out where he had left her," Kurt said.
"He left her by the side of the road near the Arabian Ranches," said Kurt. Apparently, the exact location is still unknown.
Solidarity
Posters and a specially created Facebook group have been circulating information on Kerry who lived in Dubai for seven years. Around 8.30pm on August 20, Kerry was assaulted at her home in Al Barsha, reads one of the posters.
Eyewitness accounts said the suspect had beaten Kerry with a baseball bat, chased off one of the witnesses and then bundled her off into her own car and drove off.
Kurt confirmed that his sister had been dating a Briton, but she recently ended the relationship, which probably did not go down well with the person concerned. "I last saw him in April in South Africa. I don't know him well. You know, sometimes you either click with someone or you don't and we didn't," said Kurt.
Kerry had previously wanted to get a restraining order on her ex-boyfriend, who also lives in Dubai.
According to Kurt, after the attack, the man went to the UK, but was arrested on his return to the UAE.
Suspicion on Kerry's wellbeing first surfaced when she did not show up to meet friends on August 24. "They contacted us to say that when they went to the house, the police were there and there were blood stains on the ground," Kurt said.
"I received a text message from Kerry's phone on August 25, saying she was fine. But I knew something wasn't right. Then I received another message, asking me what the police knew about her. I replied in Afrikaans because I knew she would understand, but there was no contact after that," he said.
"My return flight is booked for tomorrow, but I'm going to push it back. I can't come home to my mother without Kerry," said Kurt.
Net call: Facebook drive
A Facebook group called Help Us Find Kerry has been started for anybody with any information on Kerry to contact friends and family of the missing woman. If you have any information on Kerry's whereabouts, please call Kurt Winter on 050 103 5904
Essentials of reporting a missing person
If you fear that someone has gone "missing", the person should be reported to the authorities after a 24-hour period. A full description or photograph of the missing person should be provided to the police.
The report should be lodged with the nearest police station and depending on the nature of the complaint, the police may break in if the person is believed to be inside his or her residence, after securing a public prosecution approval to do so.
If the person's whereabouts are unknown, the information and description are circulated to all police patrol parties, said a source at Dubai Police. Simultaneously, all points of entry and exit to the country are checked to make sure the person has not left the country, after which the investigation will start.
Are you concerned about your safety? What precautions do you take to stay safe? Do you know of the authorities that need to be contacted in such cases? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form bellow to send your comments.
Your comments
The eye witensses should have immediately called the police and should have taken the car number.
zen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 02, 2008, 11:40
Can't believe this is happening here in U.A.E.
Mustafa
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: September 02, 2008, 09:35
Bring in a brother to talk to the suspect!Police should deal with this suspect.We are good at that down in Africa,he would have taken the police for indications within hours he was caught at his own will.
Vusi
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 02, 2008, 09:09
It is good in theory but when I had gone to report my cousin 4 years before the response was very bad. WE went to report CID office and they also showed very poor response. They said we should wait for 24 hours to report the case.
Ignatius
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 02, 2008, 08:44
It is unbeleivable that something like this has happened in Dubai and more unbelievable that the investigation is still taking so much time and they haven't found Kerry yet. How can she just.... "disappear".... we dont live in such a huge country that someone cannot be found..... Anyways, all we can do is hope and pray that she is safe and gets found and hopefully return to her family SOON.. and whoever is guilty should suffer greatly for doing this to her...
S.A.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 02, 2008, 08:07
Share this article
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- Dubai Airshow: Change in Emirates check-in time
- Dance group brings taste of Korean culture to Abu Dhabi
- EAD studies focus on water security
- Dubai Press Club marks 10th anniversary
- Visitors flock to see latest offerings at Sharjah book fair
- UAE combats human trafficking
- Ministry denies hijacking of UAE-flagged ship
- Saif meets special needs centre users
- Man says he repaid 95% of amount he embezzled
- Dubai saleswoman claims she was duped, raped
- Female clerk, waiter deny drug trafficking charges
- Live hoardings: Ad a glance
- Gem of a woman
- Dewa charges: It's a bitter bill
- Weighty matter: Zap those fat cells
