Model apologises for vanishing for days

Mar 10 2008 Western Mail

A FORMER James Bond girl has apologised for disappearing for three days.

Waris Dirie, a Somali-born model who used to live in Penylan, Cardiff, triggered a police search when she went missing in Belgium.

She was found by police wandering near Brussels’ central Grand Place square.

“She gave little explanation. She only said that she walked around during the three days and said she was lost,” said Jean-Marc Meilleur, spokesman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office.

“She said she slept in several lobbies of hotels because she had no money to pay for a room.”

In an interview with Belgian television at the weekend, Dirie said she was sorry for the commotion her disappearance caused.

“I am sure you are glad to see me as I am glad to see you and I’m OK. It was just a little misunder- standing,” said Dirie, 43.

As a UN goodwill ambassador, she was to have attended two conferences on Thursday alongside women leaders, like US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, to mark International Women’s Day.

Dirie was to have spoken about her campaign to stop female genital mutilation around the world.

“I say to all the women ... I’m so sorry, I truly apologise,” she said.

Dirie gained international fame as a model in Chanel ads and acting in the 1987 James Bond movie The Living Daylights with Welsh Bond Timothy Dalton, before launching her campaign against female genital mutilation in 1996.

An Austrian citizen, Dirie was attacked in her Vienna apartment in 2004 by a Portuguese handyman who had stalked her. She received minor injuries and the man, Paulo Augusto, was given a five-month suspended sentence by an Austrian court. He had already been twice arrested for burgling her Cardiff home where he had carried out odd-job work.

In this latest case, Mr Meilleur said it remained unclear why Dirie vanished or what she had been up to during the three days.

“She is not a victim of violence, she is not a victim of a crime ... the case is closed,” he said.

Concern over Dirie’s disappearance was heightened because of the discovery last week in Paris of the body of another African-born former model who had campaigned against female genital mutilation.

Guinean-born Katoucha Niane was discovered floating in the River Seine.

The French police said an autopsy showed no signs of foul play, raising the possibility that she may have fallen accidentally into the river. However, Katoucha’s family filed a legal complaint on Friday, saying they suspected a crime.