The disappearance of the photographer makes Brazilians discover the scary side of Paris

It dates back to two weeks after the disappearance of the photographer Flávio de Castro Sousa from Minas Gerais. Despite the widespread media coverage – even the ‘Jornal Nacional’ aired an article, tonight it will be the turn of ‘Fantástico’ – and the mobilization on the internet, there are no clues as to his whereabouts.

Hypotheses include a psychotic break that left him disoriented and post-traumatic stress following an accidental fall into the Seine.

Friends living in Paris hope to find him in a shelter in the city. Since he disappeared with only the clothes on his back, without taking his passport or money, it is concluded that he could not have gone far.

The mystery surrounding Flávio, 36, who speaks fluent French, has brought to light information about the dangerous side of beautiful Paris. Although they are low compared to Brazilian metropolises, their crime rate cannot be ignored.

The city of 2 million inhabitants (almost 6 times fewer than Sao Paulo) is the scene of thefts, robberies, traffic scams, human trafficking and violence against LGBT people. Homophobic attacks have increased by 30% since 2022, according to a report by the SOS Homophobie group released on the France 24 television channel.

Some areas of the French capital, little visited by tourists, are more at risk, such as the 19th arrondissement, in the north, where drug trafficking, prostitution and criminal gangs are visible to the naked eye.

Flávio de Castro Sousa stayed in the 13th arrondissement, a residential area, without many attractions for visitors. One of his last WhatsApp messages was addressed to a friend, in which he informed him that he had fallen into the waters of the Seine while walking on the Île aux Cygnes, the Swan Island (read the highlighted article about it), a place more frequented by locals than tourists.

A friend of the photographer, Rafael Basso, commented in a video on the difficulty of obtaining images from the security cameras of the town hall and commercial establishments to try to retrace the steps of the missing Brazilian. In 2023, the Actu portal reported that Paris had 4,000 surveillance devices on the streets, a low number for such a major city.

Whatever the outcome, this case serves as a warning to Brazilians arriving in the City of Light: enjoy the charm of Paris, but don’t forget that every big city offers numerous risks. Paris is a party, but it can also be a nightmare.

Source: Terra