Even when everyone else was thinking the worst, the sister of the missing Polish student Angelika Kluk refused to give up hope.
In an agonising series of messages posted on the internet throughout the early hours of Saturday morning, 28-year-old Aneta Kluk clung on to the belief that her 'calm, organised and really happy sister' was still alive.
Angelika, who was known as Angela to the parishioners of St Patrick's Catholic church in the Anderston area of Glasgow, should have been attending her final mass today before returning home to Poland tomorrow. Instead police were last night expected to confirm that the body found in the grounds of the church on Friday night was that of the 23-year-old. She had been staying at accommodation in the church during the summer and was due to return home to start her final year studying Scandinavian languages at Gdansk university.
Last night police were still trying to trace convicted sex offender Peter Tobin. The 60-year-old, who had worked as a handyman at the church for the past six weeks, was the last person to be seen with Angelika. Police questioned him on Monday night about her disappearance, but he gave them a false name, age and address before disappearing the following day.
On Friday morning police revealed that Tobin, who had been using the alias Pat McLaughlin, was a convicted child rapist and was a danger to the public.
The messages posted throughout the week by Aneta Kluk on an internet forum used by the Polish community in Scotland reveal her agonising wait for news. On Wednesday, two days after her sister disappeared, Aneta, who has lived in Glasgow for several years, appealed for information, saying simply: 'Has anyone seen my sister??? ... She doesn't do crazy things or make jokes like this.'
By 12.45am yesterday, five hours after police confirmed that a body had been found, she wrote in response to someone suggesting a march to protest against violence, as a tribute to Angelika: 'I know you mean well, but we don't know 100 per cent that it is even a girl. Please, don't destroy all my hope.'
One hour later, after reading online about Tobin, who had been jailed for raping and sexually assaulting two teenagers but had been released early, Aneta said: 'He's a psychopath not a person, and how could the police lose track of him in the electronic age?' Just after 4am yesterday, she said that she was freezing but didn't want to sleep and was going to sit by the radiator for a while.
At 9am, when her sister's photograph was on the front pages of Scotland's newspapers alongside news that a body had been found, Aneta wrote: 'In the press and on the web there's all this nonsense, and everyone's giving their condolences. We haven't heard anything from the police, not even that it is a girl.' Half-an-hour later she said: 'I've been in a rage all morning. I need help, some kind of public pressure. The police haven't given us any information and the press are poring over macabre details ... I'm sick of the police. I don't know any of the facts, they keep delaying things and there's already complete hysteria on the TV.'
The disappearance of the hardworking student stunned those living in Glasgow's Polish community. It has also once again raised questions about the early release and monitoring of sex offenders, and even about the church's open-door policy.
So far, no explanation has been given as to why Tobin was released early or who was responsible for monitoring him.
In 1994 Tobin was jailed for 14 years for a vicious sexual attack on two 14-year-old girls. He had held the two teenagers at knifepoint in his Hampshire flat, forced them to ingest sedatives and then raped one of them while she was partially conscious. Tobin began sexually assaulting the second girl and only stopped after he was interrupted by his six-year-old son, who was at home at the time.
During his trial Tobin admitted luring the girls to his flat, then forcing them to take drugs he described as 'blues and uppers'. Anthony Davies, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court: 'Tobin treated the girls as cruelly as a cat would treat a mouse.'
On Tobin's release, he was supposed to be being monitored by parole officials and his local social services. It is understood Tobin moved to Paisley in December 2004. He should have informed police and the Parole Board about any change of address.
Ronnie Convery, director of communications at Glasgow's Roman Catholic archdiocese, said everyone was horrified at the find, and that Father Gerry Nugent, the parish priest, was 'utterly shattered'.
'It is unbelievably horrific. She was a careful and sensible girl. She gave regular readings at mass, attending various services through the week and played such an active part in the church. Her sister and father also spent time here. We are shocked and bewildered and struggling to take this in.'
This was the second summer Angelika had spent at the church while working as a cleaner in the city. She had initially stayed in a flat, but had been forced to vacate it. She had asked Nugent if any of his congregation might have a spare room. He was unable to find her one, but offered her accommodation in the church.
At the end of last summer the Polish student said she'd never felt so at home. Convery said: 'She told Father Gerry she felt as if she'd found a new family. When she asked if it might be possible for her to return this summer, he was delighted.'
Yesterday afternoon the police refused to disclose any more details, other than that forensic examinations were continuing at the church. They also renewed their appeal to Tobin, urging him to come forward.
Translated extracts of messages posted by Angelika's sister, Aneta, on the Polish expat website www.szkocja.net
27/09/2006, 00.39
amk8: Has anyone seen my sister??? My sister disappeared two days ago. She disappeared from around the Church of St Patrick in Anderston area of Glasgow, where she lived.
28/09/2006, 13.16
amk8: There's nothing new ... the police are checking every phone call and the CCTV ... one of the men they were looking for has been found, and only confirmed what was already being reported.
16.15
amk8: Now we are looking for Pat, the man that helped out at the presbytery and did little repair jobs. We don't have a fixed address for him and he might be staying anywhere.
30/09/06, 09.02
amk8: We haven't heard anything from the police, not even that it is a girl.
09.37
amk8: I've been in a rage all morning. I need help, some kind of public pressure. The police haven't given us any information ... I'm sick of the police - I don't know any of the facts, they keep delaying things.
12.55
amk8: This is getting on my nerves - people who don't know what's going on shouldn't comment ... read this: a body has been found. Unidentified, it's not clear whether it's a man or a woman. Is anything else unclear?