“These reports are disturbing, but not surprising. Disturbing because they describe sexual abuse that should not take place in any educational or artistic creation space. Not surprising because they follow a script we know all too well: abusers exploiting positions of power, benefiting from complicit silence, and employing repeated strategies of manipulation and control over victims,” stated Ângelo Fernandes, the founder of the association, in the statement.
Last week, testimonies from students and former students of ACE – Schools of Arts in Porto began to surface on social media pages — notably Mais um casting and Não tenhas medo — revealing a climate of intimidation, abuse, and humiliation within the school, along with inappropriate conduct by teachers.
One of the main figures accused in these testimonies is actor António Capelo, who taught at ACE until 2022.
In addition to the testimonies shared on social media, another was made public by the Bloco de Esquerda (BE), a party for which Capelo served as an electoral representative.
The actor denies the accusations, declaring on Thursday, in statements to Lusa, that he is a victim of “a conspiracy” with false accusations, and he vowed to fight in court for his honor and the truth.
“I categorically reject any type of action leading to a sexual act with students. I categorically reject it,” asserted António Capelo to Lusa, admitting he read some of the statements that came out and commenting that “some are a bit silly” and many are not from his students.
On Monday, more than a hundred people, including alumni, teachers, staff, and cultural professionals, protested against the reports of abuse at the ACE — School of Arts in Porto, and against what they described as a culture of “fear” surrounding the institution.
Quebrar o Silêncio, an association created to support male and boy survivors of violence and sexual abuse, advocates for “concrete and urgent measures: safe reporting channels, public policies focused on victim protection, mandatory training for all professionals working with children and young people, and a collective commitment to believe victims.”
“If we don’t learn from this case, there will be many others. With each silence and disbelief, Portuguese society becomes complicit with the abusers, and the State cannot continue to fail in this fundamental duty of protection,” Ângelo Fernandes further stated.
In the statement released today by Quebrar o Silêncio, the association emphasizes that this involves “not just the conduct of an isolated man, but a structural dynamic.”
“The public testimonies describe a pattern already identified in specialized literature and in the Quebrar o Silêncio’s prevention guide: progressive approach, seemingly harmless contacts, sexualized messages, desensitization to touch, and finally, crossing the lines between pedagogy and intimacy,” the statement reads.
Ângelo Fernandes also notes that the accused’s reaction mirrors patterns seen in other cases: “[By] filing a criminal complaint against initiatives that try to give voice to victims, like the page Não Tenhas Medo, he is not only defending himself: he is attempting to reverse the power position and intimidate those who denounce.”
Regarding this matter, in response to Lusa today, an official source from the Procuradoria-Geral da República said that no “formal complaint has been located yet.”
“Nevertheless, it is worth noting that should facts that constitute public crimes, and are not yet time-barred, come to the attention of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, a relevant inquiry will be initiated,” added the source.
