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| No charges for Briton accused of Buenos Aires raids | |
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| The woman who has featured heavily in the tabloid press after claims that she was involved in an armed gang that robbed luxury homes across Argentina has said she is afraid to return to the UK . | |
| Georgia Wawman has become infamous as the alleged key player in the gang, but despite widespread reporting of what were claimed to be her crimes, it has emerged that she was never expected to face charges. “She was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said a legal source at the court handling the investigation. | |
| Recovering at her stepmother’s home in Manzanares on Thursday, Wawman said she would not return home to Britain until the spotlight of attention was lifted from her case. | Recovering at her stepmother’s home in Manzanares on Thursday, Wawman said she would not return home to Britain until the spotlight of attention was lifted from her case. |
| Speaking for her 26-year-old stepdaughter as they sat together, Laurence de Mello said: “She wants to clear her name first, she doesn’t want to go back while she is still under suspicion by the British public.” | Speaking for her 26-year-old stepdaughter as they sat together, Laurence de Mello said: “She wants to clear her name first, she doesn’t want to go back while she is still under suspicion by the British public.” |
| Mello, a British citizen who moved to Argentina in 2002 and was Wawman’s legal guardian until she was 21, said her stepdaughter was appalled by the way her story was treated in the tabloids. | |
| “We would have expected much more support for a vulnerable young British woman with a two-year-old son in difficult circumstances far away from home,” Mello said. | “We would have expected much more support for a vulnerable young British woman with a two-year-old son in difficult circumstances far away from home,” Mello said. |
| Wawman was spending the night at the home of her former partner and father of her child, José Mino, when police smashed the door down at 5.30am last Thursday. “It was a large group of police, three of whom – one a woman – maltreated her. It was a total abuse of police power,” according to Mello, who said Wawman has been left with several bruises from being manhandled by the police. | Wawman was spending the night at the home of her former partner and father of her child, José Mino, when police smashed the door down at 5.30am last Thursday. “It was a large group of police, three of whom – one a woman – maltreated her. It was a total abuse of police power,” according to Mello, who said Wawman has been left with several bruises from being manhandled by the police. |
| She said support from the British embassy was vital: “The embassy was marvellous, calling the police and the court, they kept Georgia going.” | She said support from the British embassy was vital: “The embassy was marvellous, calling the police and the court, they kept Georgia going.” |
| Wawman, from Great Bedwyn, near Marlborough, is understood to have been questioned for eight hours last week before investigators concluded there was no evidence of any wrongdoing. | Wawman, from Great Bedwyn, near Marlborough, is understood to have been questioned for eight hours last week before investigators concluded there was no evidence of any wrongdoing. |
| Their decision came after detectives had initially claimed she was instrumental in numerous robberies in which gangs of up to eight people dressed as police officers assaulted homeowners as they ransacked their properties. | Their decision came after detectives had initially claimed she was instrumental in numerous robberies in which gangs of up to eight people dressed as police officers assaulted homeowners as they ransacked their properties. |
| Wawman was detained in Manzanares, a district that has experienced a surge of growth in the last decade because of the large number of luxury gated communities. | Wawman was detained in Manzanares, a district that has experienced a surge of growth in the last decade because of the large number of luxury gated communities. |
| She was apprehended in one of a series of raids that targeted the alleged perpetrators of several burglaries in the area. “There’s been an investigation in recent months into the activities of three different gangs operating in the area but Wawman was never a part of that investigation,” the legal source said. | She was apprehended in one of a series of raids that targeted the alleged perpetrators of several burglaries in the area. “There’s been an investigation in recent months into the activities of three different gangs operating in the area but Wawman was never a part of that investigation,” the legal source said. |
| Investigators had hoped to arrest the male occupant of the house where Wawman was staying. The man, suspected of providing the cars used in some of the heists, was not present, but police took Wawman for questioning. | Investigators had hoped to arrest the male occupant of the house where Wawman was staying. The man, suspected of providing the cars used in some of the heists, was not present, but police took Wawman for questioning. |
| In their haste to claim success, the police issued a press release boasting that they had disbanded “a gang of delinquents led by a woman from Great Britain that carried out heists in gated communities and weekend homes in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires”. | In their haste to claim success, the police issued a press release boasting that they had disbanded “a gang of delinquents led by a woman from Great Britain that carried out heists in gated communities and weekend homes in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires”. |
| Police even claimed Wawman had been found in possession of objects stolen by the gangs. This was was later proven false, when victims of the robberies failed to recognise the belongings she was found with, including her own iPad. | Police even claimed Wawman had been found in possession of objects stolen by the gangs. This was was later proven false, when victims of the robberies failed to recognise the belongings she was found with, including her own iPad. |
| Detective Blas Mpatsios told reporters that when Wawman was arrested she had yelled at other detainees caught in the raid to say nothing. “It was like she was giving orders,” Mpatsios was quoted as saying. | Detective Blas Mpatsios told reporters that when Wawman was arrested she had yelled at other detainees caught in the raid to say nothing. “It was like she was giving orders,” Mpatsios was quoted as saying. |
| Newspapers in Argentina and the UK ran stories identifying Wawman as the “Barbie Bandit” mastermind of the gang, illustrated with photographs of guns, ammunition and fake police uniforms seized during the raids. In interviews with schoolfriends back in the UK, she was variously described as a “troublemaker” who “stole sweets” and would “bat her eyelashes to get out of trouble”. | Newspapers in Argentina and the UK ran stories identifying Wawman as the “Barbie Bandit” mastermind of the gang, illustrated with photographs of guns, ammunition and fake police uniforms seized during the raids. In interviews with schoolfriends back in the UK, she was variously described as a “troublemaker” who “stole sweets” and would “bat her eyelashes to get out of trouble”. |
| A legal source said Wawman was not connected to any of the items pictured under her name. “She was in detention only from 9am till 5pm,” he said. “She was never a suspect in the case.” | A legal source said Wawman was not connected to any of the items pictured under her name. “She was in detention only from 9am till 5pm,” he said. “She was never a suspect in the case.” |
| Speaking to the Sun after her arrest, Wawman reportedly said: “I’m entirely innocent, yet the world now knows me as the Barbie Bandit. I’ve been set up and humiliated by the police and my life is ruined. Anyone who knows me will tell you I wouldn’t say boo to a goose.” | Speaking to the Sun after her arrest, Wawman reportedly said: “I’m entirely innocent, yet the world now knows me as the Barbie Bandit. I’ve been set up and humiliated by the police and my life is ruined. Anyone who knows me will tell you I wouldn’t say boo to a goose.” |
| Wawman moved to Argentina some years ago to live with her stepmother and had a child with an Argentinian boyfriend. She is believed to be considering returning to Britain, although she will need the legal approval of her child’s father to leave the country with her child. | Wawman moved to Argentina some years ago to live with her stepmother and had a child with an Argentinian boyfriend. She is believed to be considering returning to Britain, although she will need the legal approval of her child’s father to leave the country with her child. |
| The British embassy declined to elaborate on the case. “We were in contact with a British national following their arrest in Buenos Aires to provide assistance,” an embassy spokesperson said. | The British embassy declined to elaborate on the case. “We were in contact with a British national following their arrest in Buenos Aires to provide assistance,” an embassy spokesperson said. |