During a lunch break on the third day of the trial concerning the homicide of Mónica Silva, which is being held at the Aveiro Court, lawyer Falé de Carvalho provided new information regarding the case.
The legal proceedings involve a request for a preventative seizure aimed at securing an indemnity payment amounting to 512,000 euros, as demanded by the family of the victim.
The lawyer, representing the minor children of Mónica Silva, expressed concerns about asset transfers, stating, “There was a fear that the fact all assets were in a company could allow [Fernando Valente] to transfer the shares with a simple power of attorney. The Court did not see it this way. I think it’s wrong. We will appeal.”
Fernando Valente, who is currently under house arrest, is facing trial by a jury composed of three professional judges and eight jurors. He is accused of the murder of the pregnant woman from Murtosa.
In addition to the charge of qualified homicide, the defendant is also facing accusations of abortion, desecration of a corpse, unauthorized access, and possession of counterfeit currency intended for circulation.
The trial is being conducted behind closed doors, without public or media presence, as the presiding judge ruled to exclude public access to the hearings and other procedural acts to protect the personal dignity of the victim in relation to the other parties involved, particularly her children.
The defendant, who reportedly maintained a romantic relationship with the victim, resulting in a pregnancy, was apprehended by the Judiciary Police (PJ) in November 2023, more than a month after the disappearance of the 33-year-old woman who was seven months pregnant.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office charges that the defendant killed the victim and her unborn child on the night of October 3, 2023, at his apartment in Torreira, to avoid having to acknowledge paternity and sharing his assets.
The indictment further alleges that, during the early morning of October 4, the defendant disposed of the victim’s body, taking it to an undisclosed location, concealing it, and preventing its discovery to this day.
