A court has suspended the security measure of internment for a woman, specifying a minimum duration of three years and a maximum of eight years. The suspension was decided by the court, which concluded that the objectives of the measure could be achieved under suspension, provided the accused adheres to prescribed medication and therapy.
The 34-year-old woman had been charged by the Public Prosecutor’s Office with five counts of forest fire arson and was under house arrest with electronic monitoring, a measure that has now been lifted.
The judgment made available to Lusa news agency outlines that in September 2024, the accused used a gas kitchen lighter to ignite dry eucalyptus and oak leaves at the edges of a forest path.
“Immediately, the fires spread to the existing vegetation and eucalyptus trees, and the accused ensured this occurred,” reads the document, which notes that the woman then moved to another location to repeat the action.
Two individuals who noticed the smoke called for assistance.
The court highlighted that the areas where the accused set the fires consist of “a mix of forest area populated by eucalyptus, maritime pines, oaks, and brush” and an urban area with a factory, a fuel supply station, and the A13 highway nearby.
A total of 250 square meters of eucalyptus and brushland burned, and the two fires were tackled by the fire departments from Alvaiázere, Ansião, and Figueiró dos Vinhos, along with a helicopter.
“Had it not been for the prompt mobilization and intervention of firefighting resources, the fires would have spread throughout the surrounding forest area, factory facilities, fuel station, and residences,” the document states.
The panel of judges determined that the accused was “at the time of the events and due to those, unable to assess the wrongfulness of her conduct or act according to such evaluation because of the degree of deterioration of her mental state.”
It further stated that “due to the mental illness she suffers from, there is a high probability of her committing similar acts unless regularly and permanently compelled to necessary therapies.”
However, it appears “reasonably expected that with the suspension” of the internment, the measure’s purpose is fulfilled, as suspension “is compatible with social peace and public order defense.”
“(…) With rigorous psychiatric and neurological supervision, alongside properly taking all prescribed medication to reduce dangerousness, she is deemed not to present any danger,” with the court expressing “confidence in the future behavior” of the accused.
