An illegally operating daycare in Rio de Mouro, Sintra, has prompted the Social Security Institute to take legal action after the owner ignored a closure order following an inspection. What’s at stake?
The issue came to light this week, revealing that a month at this daycare costs 200 euros and caters to children aged between six months and three years.
Located near the Rio de Mouro train station, the daycare operates in the garage of a building, lacking outdoor play space for the children.
The facility, run by an evangelical pastor, lacks natural light and emergency preparedness.
Responding to inquiries about the daycare’s illegal operation in Rio de Mouro, the Social Security Institute reported that, in collaboration with the PSP’s Lisbon Metropolitan Command, an inspection was carried out on Monday at the location on Avenida das Descobertas.
The Social Security noted that the facility was previously inspected last year, and was found to be operating without the required legal license and without adequate conditions for caring for children, leading to an administrative closure decision.
The closure decision was legally contested by the daycare’s owning entity through a precautionary measure, which was later dismissed, the Social Security further stated.
“Following the court’s decision to dismiss the precautionary measure action, during the inspection on June 2nd, it was confirmed that the owning entity did not comply with the closure order issued by the Social Security Institute. Consequently, a criminal report will be filed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office since the owner is committing the crime of disobedience,” the Social Security announced.
The Social Security clarified that no immediate and urgent facts were detected that warranted the immediate and urgent closure with the removal of children from the establishment, meaning there was no imminent danger to the children.
A source from the Lisbon Metropolitan Command (Cometlis) stated that during Monday’s inspection operation, the daycare owner was arrested for the crime of resistance and coercion.
Upon being presented in court, the owner was subjected to the coercive measure of Statement of Identity and Residence.
According to the same source, there were nearly 50 children present at the daycare during the inspection.
The Social Security further stated that “immediate urgent closure is decreed immediately following an inspection when there is imminent danger to the users, with immediate removal and corresponding referral to family members or other social responses.”
Administrative closure, also decreed following an inspection, “occurs when there are situations of a lack of installation, operation, safety, hygiene, and comfort conditions that jeopardize user rights and well-being. In these cases, the owning entity is responsible for executing the closure.”
