A 38-year-old man was arrested by the Judiciary Police (PJ) on Sunday in Loulé, suspected of committing multiple crimes of child sexual abuse and domestic violence, “victimizing his spouse and her 13-year-old daughter.”
The investigation began following a report made to the Judiciary Police last Friday “by the man’s wife, who, accompanied by her daughter, recounted the events they had been victims of.”
The PJ discovered that besides committing acts suspectable of constituting the crime of domestic violence against the woman and her daughter, the suspect “was also engaging in acts of sexual abuse against his stepdaughter.”
“Since 2023, when they lived in the south of the country, and even after emigrating to central Europe at the beginning of 2024 until now, the suspect has allegedly committed dozens of acts of sexual abuse with the minor,” the report states.
Authorities also mentioned that the man, exhibiting “disruptive behaviors due to the influence of psychoactive substances, took advantage of the influence he had over his stepdaughter” to “persuade her to engage in sexual acts in exchange for gifts and material goods.”
The detainee will be brought to the first judicial interrogation in the Criminal Instruction Court of Porto for the application of coercive measures.
Data from the 2024 Annual Internal Security Report (RASI) indicate that last year there were 543 reported rapes, 49 more than the previous year.
Furthermore, domestic violence and simple voluntary physical injury offenses are the crimes with the highest number of recorded reports.
“However, it continues to show very high levels of reporting (30,221), with an increase in violence against minors (+7.2%). The crime of domestic violence against a spouse or similar is still the one with the highest number of reports among all reported crimes (25,919),” the RASI states.
The RASI is prepared by the Internal Security System and approved by the Higher Council of Internal Security, an interministerial hearing and consulting body on internal security chaired by the Prime Minister.
According to data from the Public Security Police (PSP), in 2024, there was an increase in arrests related to the crime of domestic violence and complaints filed compared to 2023.
Last year alone, the PSP arrested 1,281 individuals for the crime of domestic violence, marking a 32% increase compared to the previous year, and recorded 15,781 complaints, a 1.8% increase.
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Domestic violence is a public crime, and reporting it is a collective responsibility. If you need help or know of any situation of domestic violence, please participate:
Domestic Violence Victims Information Line: 800 202 148 (free, 24h/day)
On the Electronic Complaint Portal, at https://queixaselectronicas.mai.gov.pt/
By phone, through the telephone number: 112;
At the nearest GNR post to your area of residence, always having our contacts at hand at www.gnr.pt/contactos.aspx ;
In the MAI112 App available and intended exclusively for deaf citizens, at http://www.112.pt/Paginas/Home.aspx;
In the SMS Segurança application, aimed at deaf people at www.gnr.pt/MVC_GNR/Home/SmsSeguranca;
By email to the PSP: vi****************@*sp.pt.
