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Dubai: "Help us find Kerry" read the T-shirts of a small crowd of family, friends and well-wishers who gathered to show support - after distributing a printed plea to people to wear the same - as the search for missing Al Barsha resident Kerry Winter gained momentum on Friday.
About 100 residents met up early on Friday in a show of solidarity towards the Winter family as the search for 35-year-old South African Kerry entered the second week.
Kerry was last seen on August 20 after being beaten up by her British ex- boyfriend outside her home. The man has been detained at Bur Dubai police station.
According to the Chief of Dubai Police, Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim, he has confessed to hitting Kerry and leaving her by the side of a desert road.
Willem Botes, Consul from the South African Consulate General in Dubai, who was present at Friday's gathering, called Kerry's disappearance a "unique case". He said the Consulate was liaising with the police.
"A lot of time has gone by without a positive lead, but they [the police] have assured us that they are doing their utmost to try and solve this case," said Botes.
Since arriving in the UAE from South Africa about 15 days ago, Kerry's brother Kurt Winter and nephew David Giles have spent all their time looking for Kerry or following up leads.
On the night of her disappearance, Kerry spoke to her ex-colleague and friend Giovanni Angiolini, 34, almost an hour before she was attacked.
"We were supposed to meet up that night. I still have her text messages confirming that we were going to see each other, but my car broke down and I couldn't make it," said Angiolini.
"I keep thinking, 'what if I the car hadn't broken down'. We all feel terrible because we all knew her and knew what situation she was in. She was having problems with this man. She was scared I think. He had stalked her, made threats before, but we couldn't do anything," he said.
"He [the suspect] says they drove out, she was fine and then she fell asleep and he left her out there.
"But there was so much blood at her place, knowing Kerry, she would have done anything to try and contact somebody," he said.
Donald and Liliann Daly have known Kerry for 6 years. "She was full of life and positive," said Lillian, who had spent a lot of time on the phone with Kerry.
"Initially she never talked about her problems, but slowly it came out. I think she was scared of him showing up and threatening," she added. "She came to stay with us once."
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