A 26-year-old man was arrested in Fafe, Braga district, on suspicion of assaulting and raping his 40-year-old girlfriend last Tuesday, June 17, the Judicial Police (PJ) announced in a statement this Friday.
According to investigators, the incident occurred at the suspect’s residence after a “minor disagreement with the victim.” The detained individual “physically assaulted” his girlfriend out of “trivial motives” and forced her “to engage in significant sexual acts.”
Following a complaint lodged the following morning, immediate evidence collection efforts were undertaken, resulting in the suspect’s arrest.
Upon being brought before judicial authorities for interrogation, the suspect was subjected to a non-preventive, non-detention coercive measure.
Domestic Violence in Portugal: An Increase in Reports and Arrests
Instances of domestic violence in Portugal are reported almost daily. This phenomenon, as highlighted by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality, continues to deeply affect the lives of many people in the country, mainly women. It includes new forms of violence through digital means and the persistence of sexist and discriminatory beliefs that legitimize or downplay the severity of these incidents.
Domestic violence was the most reported crime against the elderly to the Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) between 2021 and 2024, during which help requests increased by 8.5%, revealed today by an official in Porto.
May 27 marked the 25th anniversary of domestic violence being enshrined as a public crime in Portugal. This legislative change was a fundamental step in recognizing that violence against women and domestic violence, due to its impacts not only on survivor-victims but also on society as a whole, harms essential values of the Rule of Law, particularly the equality between women and men.
According to data from the Public Security Police (PSP), in 2024, there was an increase in domestic violence-related arrests and complaints compared to 2023.
Last year alone, 1,281 individuals were arrested by the PSP for domestic violence, representing a 32% increase from the previous year, with 15,781 complaints recorded, a 1.8% increase.
The PSP emphasizes the importance for victims and witnesses to remain willing to report domestic violence incidents, stressing that “all reported situations are immediately subject to risk assessment, so that urgent safety and protection measures can be swiftly adopted for each specific case.”
This security force indicates that domestic violence complaints can be made by anyone via the email “vi****************@*sp.pt” or in-person at PSP stations.
Violent behaviors, whether physical, verbal, or psychological, constitute the crime of domestic violence.
