PORTUGAL - Rui Pedro Teixeira Mendonca, 11, Lousada, 4 March 1998

[missacorah]

Does anyone have any updates on the disappearance of Rui Pedro, the portugese boy who has been missing since 1998? He was out biking with his cousin who was of a similar age when they were approached by a 22 tear old man who lived in their village. He asked if they would like to 'go see '. They were both refused permisison to go with the man by their parents but the temptation was too strong for Rui and he went. He never returned home.

A month later he was spotted in Disneyland Paris with a 40/50 year old man who resembled a man who lived nearby to Rui in his village. He has not been seen since to my knowledge. This case happened in Portugal.

 

[Mr. E]

There's not much on the internet on this boy, at least not much in English, but I did find something that said there was a picture of the boy from Disneyland Paris. Does anyone have a copy of this? I'd like to know 1) why they have positively ID'd the boy and 2) what the man he was with looked like.

 

[missacorah]

Yes if the Disneyland sighting was correct, then there are at the least 2 people involved in Rui's disappearance. (The 22 year old 'kidnapper' and the 40/50 year old gent.) I suppose this means there is a slightly bigger chance of the truth coming out one day if more than one person is involved!

 

[docwho3]

another website with details:
http://www.candidosilva.com/ingles.html

Also I found the following site:
Name: Rui Pedro
Occupation: Sócio Gerente
Age: 26 (age is often untrue on websites)
Location: Oliveira de Azeméis,

could be same face without all the hair?
http://storage.msn.com/x1pnp_rgmi5o52OZ-U8KMOJcKXyIYHA_W9izVxvu0S1-tZrxiHD7xdTF7xlyyZkyG95qlRuNS2RET2gE8hLVP-BD85JAJLmCP9XxjRtuYLQOC_UO7d297ul34CrdCGAcAn8EAz4RM7XGT4


home page
http://spaces.msn.com/members/rpedrocms/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c=

 

[missacorah]

Certainly could although if someone took Rui to actually keep him with them do you think they would have allowed him to keep his original name? Thanks for your interest. I often think about Rui.

 

[docwho3]

Certainly could although if someone took Rui to actually keep him with them do you think they would have allowed him to keep his original name? Thanks for your interest. I often think about Rui.

He may not have always used his true name. When he was younger he may have traveled under an alias. He is older now, about 19, & so may not feel the need to use a fake name now. I suppose it might depend on the circumstances of his situation. And do those he is with know what he put on the web?

Regardless of whether that particular person is him, it is good to remember that at the age of 19 or so he could probably strike out on his own if he is alive. Wherever he is, he might not try to leave if he has bonded with those that took him.

 

[Mr. E]

It would be nice to have an age-progressed picture.

 

[missacorah]

It certainly would. In the descriptions of Rui they always mention he had very large front teeth. I'm sure although Rui would have physically matured by now we would still see some eveidence of this.

 

[missacorah]

So sad that this streetwise little lad never found his way home.

 

[outofthedark]

Is it me or does this unidentified child resemble him?

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/655ummx.html

 

[missacorah]

There is definately some resemblance in the jaw line and the huge eyes - thanks for taking the time to look that up. I often think of little Rui.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

Oh what a cute little boy he almost looks exactly like my son of the same age as him when he disappered. I never heard of this case before and sometimes it hurts to know there is so many cases all over the world that unless someone brings to our attention through websites or the internet then we will never know. More public and world wide attention needs to be put on kidnapped/missing children because you just never know who might spot one of these babies... Praying for peace for Rui and for his family to someday finally get an end to all this.

 

[missacorah]

I know. I think the thing that stuck with me in this one was that he was spotted so far away from home at Disneyland shortly afterwards - had he went with someone willingly after being bribed perhaps then got caught up in the more devious side of the kidnappers true intentions?

 

[Mr. E]

According to this newspaper article http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1769019.ece

there may be a connection between Rui and Madeleine McCann. The article says that sexual abuse images were found of Rui, and it is suspected he was a victim of a pedophile ring.

He's 20 now. What happens to these child victims when they grow up? Are they killed? Do they become part of the ring as abductors/abusers?

 

[missacorah]

Wow. Thankyou so much for that. I hadnt seen that and had no idea that Ruis mum had identified him in pics.How heartbreaking for her. And not to find him at the end of it.

 

[Mr. E]

I have heard about parents viewing abuse pictures in order to identify their children. I cannot even imagine where they find they courage for that.

 

[missacorah]

I think Id prefer the not knowing rather than to view the pictures but still be no closer to them.

 

[missacorah]

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=pt&u=http://www.ruipedro.net/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=9&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DRui%2BPedro%2BMendon%25C3%25A7a%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DSUNA,SUNA:2006-34,SUNA:en

Translated website of Rui.

 

[Mr. E]

missacorah, thanks for that website. I looked at one of the videos. I had the sound down as my daughter was watching cartoons nearby, but what I saw was very disturbing. The video -- it looked like a news video -- had blurred images of what appeared to be Rui in sexual poses. I assume these images came from the Wonderland images that were recovered.

I hope he survived his ordeal and is living somewhere, somehow. But how old would he be now? In his 20s? Too old to be a victim of a pedophile ring. So where is he?

 

[missacorah]

Oh gosh. I hadnt looked through those yet. Im not sure the boy is Rui in that video at all though.

I typed Ruis name into Myspace and was pleased to see he had loads of support and mentions on there.

Yes he would be in his 20s now. Wouldnt it be great for him to return?