Two tourists were hospitalized after being assaulted by security personnel at the Lisboa Rio nightclub in Cais do Sodré on the nights of April 20 and April 27. The Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) announced that these incidents involve two separate cases, and two of the six men arrested on Wednesday, May 7, have since been released.
The first assault occurred on April 20 when five British nationals were denied entry by security guards. During a brief exchange, one security guard unexpectedly punched one of the men in the face.
Soon after, “five or six additional individuals, believed to be security personnel,” attacked the group with punches and kicks, as reported by the PSP.
As a result, one victim sustained bruises and abrasions, while another suffered a fractured tibia and fibula, requiring hospitalization and undergoing orthopedic and maxillofacial surgery. He remains hospitalized more than two weeks later.
A week later, at the same nightclub, two friends, who had been inside for approximately ten minutes, were confronted by security upon leaving. In a conversation “conducted entirely in English,” they were informed of a minimum charge of 30 euros.
The friends refused to pay, insisting they only drank a beer and were unaware of any minimum charge. Dissatisfied, three security guards surrounded and assaulted one of the men, putting him in a chokehold and throwing him to the ground. The man was then forcibly taken to the payment area and made to pay the 30 euros using his bank card.
The other friend, upon returning from the restroom, was punched in the face by another security guard, causing him to fall. He was then lifted and restrained by two guards and similarly forced to pay.
While at the payment area, this victim was “restrained with a key lock” by a guard who also struck him with an elbow and forced his head against the counter multiple times.
After securing the payments, the guards pushed the victims out of the club. Both sustained facial and head bruises, and one had a fractured arm requiring hospitalization and surgery.
Of the six arrested, two have been released but must report to authorities biweekly and are prohibited from working in their current roles. The remaining four, involved in the initial incident, will learn about their pre-trial conditions this Saturday.
The PSP’s statement highlights “extreme violence” in nightlife areas, leading to severe injuries that undermine victims’ “work capacity” and significantly impact their “personal, professional, and financial lives.”
