Social institutions in Pejão and Sardoura, approximately 10 kilometers apart, have been targeted by burglars.
Manuel Machado, treasurer of the Centro Social do Couto Mineiro do Pejão (CSCMP), reported that suspects accessed the building through a poorly secured side window, reaching the administration area.
The burglars stole a small safe containing kindergarten tuition fees totaling around 1,600 euros, Machado explained.
“They opened all the drawers and cabinets. They rummaged through everything and found the safe, which was inside a box of envelopes,” Machado stated.
The incident has been reported to the GNR police, who have since gathered evidence on-site.
Machado highlighted that this theft exacerbates the institution’s financial crisis, with ongoing debts to Social Security, banks, suppliers, and its 74 employees, who have not been paid for nearly three months.
“I am here trying to figure out how much of July’s salaries we can pay, but we can’t pay in full. We might only manage 50% if possible,” Machado stated, noting that the organization provides daycare, preschool, after-school programs, home support services, and elderly care.
