Inside the mystery as missing Brit Hannah Almond found living rough in Peru

A British tourist after a violent robbery. Hannah Almond, 32, went missingand was eventually found homeless by a friend she had met in Lima who had joined the search for her.

She had gone to the South American country on a yoga retreat and friends have said that after the robbery she suffered a mental health crisis. It is understood that Hannah had been living on the street and helping an elderly homeless man by the Belen Bridge in the well-known tourist town of Cusco and that their camp was destroyed by local street traders.

Her belongings were also allegedly burnt amid the violent scenes.

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As the full details are coming to light over what happened to Hannah, Piero Villanueva, who met her briefly in Lima, has emerged as the hero after going to look for her and is now providing her with help.

Here's everything we know so far as her:

Dream holiday in Peru

Hannah, a former Leeds Beckett University fine arts student from Grimsby, went to the South American country on a yoga retreat in March with friends saying her intention was to “find herself”.

On a now set up to help bring her home, it states: “Hannah travelled to Peru in March hoping for an adventure, but instead, she has found herself in a terrifying and heartbreaking situation.”

More than 100,000 Brits travel to Peru every year with most stopping in Cusco which is the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail.

Robbery

Hannah’s holiday took a very different twist though after she was robbed and it is understood that she lost her phone and passport as well as being left penniless.

The current Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice warns a number of Brit tourists have been targeted by armed robbers in recent years. It adds: "Personal attacks, including sexual assaults, are infrequent but do happen, mostly in the Cusco and Arequipa areas."

Hannah was “extremely vulnerable” after being robbed, said her friend Sophie Wallace, who set up the GoFundMe page. She was robbed and assaulted, losing her passport, phone, and all of her money,” said Sophie.

“Since then, Hannah’s mental health — something she has long struggled with — has severely declined. She is now in the midst of a mental health crisis, living under a bridge with a homeless man she befriended — the only person she currently trusts. Despite attempts to help her through official channels, Hannah is deeply fearful and unable to accept support from the embassy or local authorities. She is extremely vulnerable, isolated, and not safe living on the streets of Peru.”

Living rough

Hannah had been living rough and helping an elderly homeless man by the Belen Bridge in Cusco and it is understood that their camp was destroyed by local street traders who had complained about her being there while they also destroyed what belongings she had left.

But it was after footage was broadcast of Hannah living rough that it was seen by Good Samaritan Piero Villanueva, who went from his home in Lima to join the search in Cusco having only known Hannah briefly. It was he who found her and he has confirmed that she is “safe and well”.

While a friend of Hannah said: "It is a huge relief that she has been found, when she stopped contacting people we were worried she had been trafficked and we would never hear from her again. He (Piero) found her just asleep on the street, and one of her friends has flown out from the UK to Cusco to try and persuade her to come home. We want her home in the next few days."

Altercation in street

A worrying video filmed on May 22 showed Hannah shouting in the street at a large group of people with some holding sticks as they remonstrated with her. Attempts were being made by police to restrain her.

Speaking earlier this week, a family friend said: "She is one of the most pure loving souls ever - she is very generous and always wants to help people. But she does not trust anyone after getting robbed and assaulted. Some locals burned all her belongings from under the bridge.

"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."

Good Samaritan

Piero Villanueva told a local TV station late yesterday: “I have just found her. She is safe and well. I’d like to thank the authorities and the people who contacted me to so I could help her.”

Piero has now been looking after Hannah in Cusco and is in contact with her family. He told local media: “A friend of Hannah is arriving in Cusco today and I’m talking with him to be able to assist her. Hannah and her mum haven’t spoken yet. I’m talking with her mum but she’s an elderly lady and we don’t want to worry her anymore. Hannah recognised me and approached me crying and I asked her to leave with me. Thanks God she’s safe. We have to see now what’s going to happen, talk with Hannah’s mum and see what she wants to do."

He added: “I’m in a group with her friend and family as well as the British Consul. One of her friends is arriving in Cusco today to try to help find her. Hannah was last seen around 1pm local time on Saturday near to the San Pedro market.

“I searched for her on Saturday on my own at first from around 7pm and then with another person until 3am the following morning. On Sunday we also looked for her.”

Sophie updated the GoFundMe page stating: “Due the help of everyone sharing the story, Hannah has thankfully been found and one of her friends is on the way to Cusco to persuade her to accept support and come home. We know she has been refusing help due to the complexity of her mental health so it is most likely that she will need to placed into psychiatric care before getting a flight back. This is an ongoing process but we are doing all we can to bring her back safely!”

What has the British Embassy said

Mark Atkinson, the British Consul in Peru, reportedly said that Hannah arrived in Cusco in early March as a tourist and did not plan to overstay her visa as he revealed her immigration status was now in limbo.

He said before she sparked fears for her safety by vanishing and that the embassy had coordinated help with local police which included hotel accommodation and food, but she kept returning to the same bridge she had been sleeping under before her forced eviction.

Her exact whereabouts this morning is not yet clear but local reports point to the British Consulate initiating repatriation procedures and say she is “being cared for and accompanied.”