A 34-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of sexually abusing his daughter, who was 10 years old at the time of the crimes, in Sintra, Lisbon district. The girl reported her father, fearing that her sister, now 12 years old, might “suffer similar sexual abuse.”
The suspect, who had been “maintaining visits as part of parental responsibilities” since the child was two years old, allegedly forced the girl into sexual acts during one of these visits at Christmas 2018, according to a statement from the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) sent to newsrooms this Wednesday.
“The girl remained silent since that time, but fearing that her sister, now 12 years old, might suffer similar sexual abuse, she reported the father to the PJ in Évora in March of this year,” authorities detailed.
The man, who was detained “in compliance with a warrant issued by the competent judicial authority,” will appear in court for an initial judicial interrogation and application of coercive measures.
This action was taken by the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Directorate of the PJ.
