The mystery of an English-speaking girl living on the streets in Italy has sparked debate on social media about the identity of the homeless woman.
An image of the woman appeared on an American Facebook page called Houston's Voice for the Missing, with some people suggesting it could be missing WA girl Leela McDougall.
![The mystery English-speaking girl living on the streets on Rome, left, and Leela McDougall who went missing in October ...](/web/20161124064403im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/v/3/i/1/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsv0vr.png/1479851521282.jpg)
Ms McDougall has not been seen since 2007 when she disappeared from Nannup in the South-West of WA, with her mother Chantelle McDougall and her partner Gary Feldman, and friend Antonio Popic.
The woman has been spotted sleeping rough on the streets on Rome and even recently appeared on an Italian TV show Chi l'ha Visto that looks into unsolved mysteries.
![Chantelle McDougall, 30, and her daughter Leela, 6, went missing in October 2007.](/web/20161124064403im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/v/0/u/7/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsv0vr.png/1479871851506.jpg)
The show claims the young girl didn't seem to be a 'street girl' and whoever approaches her to ask if she needs help, she responds in English.
There were also some reports saying the woman could be missing English girl Madeleine McCann, who was abducted from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007, but that seems highly unlikely.
"Some people have requested help to look for this girl that has been missing for various weeks in the centre of Rome and is in obvious difficulty," the show said.
"Given her condition and that she could be in peril, it's important to seek information on her or where she comes from, and if anyone knows or recognises her to come forward."
WA Police were quick to deny there had been any breakthrough in the disappearance of Ms McDougall.
Mr Feldman was only ever known in Australia as Simon Kadwell, who has been linked to a sect based on a doomsday book called Servers of the Divine Plan, which calls on "servers" to take up their positions on Earth before the world's imminent end and rebirth.
![Who is the mystery English-speaking girl living on the streets on Rome?](/web/20161124064403im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/v/3/r/0/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gsv0vr.png/1479795873829.jpg)
The family and their lodger, Mr Popic, who lived in a caravan on their South-West property, mysteriously vanished, leaving behind wallets, credit cards and dirty plates on the table.
The last suspected sighting was at a Busselton car yard north of Nannup heading towards Perth, where Ms McDougall's car was sold for $4000. The money to this day remains untouched in her bank account.
Ms McDougall's parents, Jim and Cathy McDougall, at the time said they had not given up hope of finding their daughter and granddaughter safe and well, but remained convinced it was Mr Feldman who persuaded them to disappear.
The matter has perplexed police, with the Australian Federal Police trying to re-ignite new leads into the case by giving the mystery international exposure in 2010 through the global missing children network, which has 19 member countries.
Scotland Yard and US authorities have also been notified about the missing family, with AFP Missing Persons Co-ordination Centre team leader Rebecca Kotz saying back in 2011: "This case is so baffling to police because there are no leads."
WA police were expected to go through missing person files for the region as part of the investigation, however they have downplayed a possible link to either Mr Popic or Mr Feldman.
"There's nothing to suggest that's it related at this stage," Sergeant Smith said at the time.
In 2013, police announced a possible break through in the case claiming it had found a man using Mr Popic's identification staying at the Underground Backpackers in Northbridge on July 15, 2007.
Police claim the man had travelled from Bunbury to Perth on train earlier in the day before catching a train to Kalgoorlie the following day.
Police said at the time there was no proof Chantelle or Leela McDougall had been on the train.
Despite the appeals by police, it failed to produce any leads.