Police optimistic missing three year old found


Rossi Matuvova possibly has been traced in Geneva

Police believe they have traced the whereabouts of the missing 3-yr-old Angolan boy Rossi Matuvovo to Geneva in Switzerland.

He arrived in the UK on 16/8/04 travelling with a man known as Fernando Matuvovo who alleges that he is Rossi's father.

They were on a flight to Rome from Luanda in Angola with a stop over in the UK. When they arrived in Rome, officials sent them back to the UK for not having the correct documentation.

On their return to the UK they were dealt with by immigration and housed on the 17/8/04 at the Thornecliffe Hotel, North Hyde Lane, Hounslow.

On 31/8/04 Fernando Matuvovo was arrested whilst attempting to travel to France using forged documents, however Rossi wasn't with him.

Fernando says he left Rossi in the crèche at the Thornecliffe Hotel. However, no one at the Thornecliffe Hotel has seen Rossi and the crèche was closed on the day he was supposed to have been left there.

A boy matching Rossi’s description is currently with Swiss authorities after the two adults he was travelling with were stopped by Swiss Immigration as the entered the country.

Police believe Rossi was taken out of the country via Eurostar to Paris on at the end of August. Enquiries are continuing to confirm the identity of the boy as being Rossi Matuvovo and to establish the reason for him being taken out of the country.

If you have any information about Rossi, please call the National Missing Persons Helpline on Freephone 0500 700 700 or call Hounslow Missing Persons Unit 0208 247 6224. Alternatively, email sightings@missingpersons.org

October 7, 2004