A 37-year-old foreign national was arrested on Sunday, October 5, by the Judiciary Police (PJ) in Torres Vedras, “strongly suspected of aggravated child sexual abuse, abuse of a dependent minor, or a minor in a particularly vulnerable situation and coercion,” the authority stated in a communiqué.
The PJ noted that the victim is a teenage girl, also of foreign nationality, who allegedly began being abused by her stepfather at the age of 13.
“From November 2024 to the present, the suspect allegedly subjected the minor to significant sexual acts at the family home in Torres Vedras, threatening her not to reveal the incidents,” the authority reported.
The minor only realized the situation “after watching a police series on television,” where she became aware that “she was being sexually abused by her stepfather.” It was at this point that she confided in her mother about what had happened.
The mother reported the case to the authorities “immediately after learning of the facts.”
The PJ further noted that the family unit “appeared structured” and has been in Portugal since 2020, “with other minors integrated into this context, who are considered potential victims, to be investigated within the scope of the investigation.”
The suspect will also be presented for an initial judicial interrogation for the application of coercive measures deemed appropriate by the competent authorities.
