The mother of a 10-year-old boy who had his fingers amputated at a school in Cinfães, Viseu district, claims that after the incident, when she went to the local police station, she received no support from the authorities.
Níviam Estevam, 27, in a statement to g1, revealed that after the mutilation, she went to the police to report the case, believing she would receive guidance on how to handle the situation. “I had all the evidence that he was suffering from attacks at school,” she stated, adding that the school was “aware” of the bullying.
Upon filing the complaint, suggesting the incident might have been motivated by her son’s Brazilian nationality, the officer interrupted her, slamming his hands on the table.
“He slammed the table, came very close to me, and said: ‘I will not accept you saying that here. In Portugal, there is neither racism nor xenophobia,'” she recounted.
The incident happened on November 10, during the morning break. Nívia’s son was followed by classmates to the bathroom, where they closed the stall door on his hand, crushing and amputating the tips of two of his fingers.
José reportedly faced bullying since the start of the school year
Since the school year started in September, the boy, then 9, complained about a classmate mocking his accent, telling him to “learn to speak proper Portuguese.” The situation allegedly escalated, leading to hair pulling, kicking, and even chokings.
The child, Nívia said, reported the bullying to a teacher, who reportedly responded: “don’t be a liar, you have to be a good boy.”
It was nearly a month after the aggressions began that the mother obtained physical proof: the boy came home with a bruised neck.
Without hesitation, Nívia sent a photo to the teacher, stating she would tolerate “no kind of aggression” against her son and demanded the school take measures to prevent it from happening again. The teacher replied: “Tomorrow I will talk to them.”
Five days later, Nívia’s son’s fingers were amputated.
In response to the incident, the same teacher reportedly wrote to the mother that “it could have happened to any child and no one intended to hurt José. They were just playing.”
Nívia also told the Brazilian newspaper that only one of the parents of José’s classmates approached her, showing concern about the incident.
“One mother approached me and asked: ‘I am so-and-so, mother of so-and-so. Has my daughter ever mistreated your son?'” To which Nívia replied: “Not that he has told me.”
Family left Cinfães out of “fear”
To the same newspaper, the Brazilian mother confessed to being targeted by reprisals from the parents of the children involved. Consequently, she decided to move to a town about an hour away.
“I came to Portugal looking for a better life. I lived in Porto for three years, then moved to a more affordable area. But now, I have to change everything again. I am scared,” she admitted.
Since reporting the episode, the 27-year-old’s family is temporarily staying with in-laws but has already decided to move permanently, fearing further reprisals.
“My fear is that it is a small town, like an inland region of Brazil. People know each other, and since the aggressors’ parents have family and friends in the area, I don’t know what they might do. I don’t know their malice,” Nívia expressed.
The child’s mother stated the move would be completed in one day, with the help of relatives. It will also be necessary to enroll the boy in a new school, but the young mother confessed to fearing further violence, given that “many regions of Portugal are racist and xenophobic.”
The mother of the nine-year-old boy who lost the tips of two fingers in an alleged bullying situation at Escola Básica de Fonte Coberta in Cinfães revealed that the child requires medication to sleep. The family is already being advised by a group of 18 lawyers.
Natacha Nunes Costa | 09:41 – 18/11/2025
