“Unfortunately, this case is not unique. Cases of bullying, often in the form of assaults targeting migrant and racialized children, have been multiplying across the country,” state SOS Racismo, Plataforma Já Marchavas, and Queer Tropical in a joint statement, referring to an incident involving a student at Fonte Coberta School in Cinfães, Viseu, who lost the tips of two fingers.
These organizations assert that such situations demand action from institutions “to respond swiftly to reports of violence in schools and to strengthen citizenship education, particularly emphasizing the development of empathy, anti-racism, and anti-xenophobia.”
The violence against foreign individuals and communities, they note, “has manifested in various forms,” recalling that “the far-right”—referring to the Chega party—exposed children’s names during a parliamentary debate on migration law, “instrumentalizing them in a vile and reprehensible manner.”
“Such attitudes legitimize violent acts in the public sphere that must be combated,” the associations urge, emphasizing the essential role of the entire community—parents, educators, and students—in this regard.
“Portugal, as a signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), has the duty to protect childhood and all children within its borders, without distinction,” the statement continues.
The General Inspectorate of Education has already launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances under which the child lost the tips of two fingers, according to a Ministry of Education source on Saturday.
On Friday, Carlos Silveira, director of the Souselo School Group in Cinfães, announced the initiation of an internal inquiry “to ascertain the facts.”
The situation was reported by Nivia Estevam, who identifies on Instagram as “the mother of the 9-year-old child whose fingertips were amputated at a school in Portugal,” located in the Cinfães area.
“Two children closed the door on my son’s fingers” when he went to the bathroom, preventing him “from leaving and seeking help,” reported Nivia Estevam, adding that this incident followed previous complaints of “hair pulling, kicking, and choking,” to which “no action was taken by the school.”
A nine-year-old boy lost the tips of three fingers at a school in Cinfães, Viseu district. The mother claims her son was subject to “recurring assaults” by classmates. The school has initiated an internal investigation.
Natacha Nunes Costa | 14:45 – 14/11/2025
Carlos Silveira refrained from providing further details about the incident, which occurred on Monday, as the internal inquiry is ongoing, but assured that “emergency services were promptly called” and the school followed appropriate procedures.
