The mother of one of two British law graduates arrested in Brazil for allegedly fraudulently claiming they had been robbed has appealed for "fairness and leniency" from the legal authorities in the country.
Simone Headley, mother of Shanti Andrews, who along with Rebecca Turner is being held in Rio de Janeiro over allegations of a faked robbery, said there had been a misunderstanding and both women were "absolutely traumatised".
Speaking outside the family home in Frant, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Ms Headley said: "I spoke to her on Monday and she seems devastated. She is absolutely traumatised, they both are. There has been a misunderstanding. Shanti and Rebecca are two hardworking young girls, never been in trouble."
She went on: "This unfortunate incident came along at the end of their nine-month journey around the world. We hope the Brazilian justice system will see it as a misunderstanding and the girls will be able to come home safely. We are asking them to please show the world fairness and leniency."
According to reports, the two law graduates, both 23, informed police in Rio de Janeiro that belongings totalling £1,000 had been stolen during a bus journey.
The pair, who are believed to have studied at the University of Sussex, were taken into custody after officers apparently became suspicious that they had waited several days to report the incident.
A subsequent search of their hostel allegedly uncovered their belongings, it is claimed.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the arrest of two British Nationals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 26. We are providing consular assistance."
The website of the civil police of the state of Rio de Janeiro posted a picture of the two women it named as Shanti Simone Andrews and Rebecca Claire Turner.
It said they had been arrested at dawn on Monday after officers of a specialist tourist support unit had become suspicious. It said the pair had tried to register a robbery of baggage and documents, alleging they had been attacked. Officers visited the lodgings in Copacabana where the pair were staying and said they found the women's belongings.
