“The disciplinary process against the prison commissioner was shelved today,” stated Hermínio Barradas, president of the Union Association of the Prison Guard Chiefs (ASCCGP).
Unlike the other seven prison guards involved in the disciplinary proceedings initiated by the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP), the prison commissioner chose to provide statements to the Audit and Inspection Service (SAI) of this directorate-general, explained Barradas. The commissioner “gave the necessary clarifications and saw the process closed.”
On March 19, the seven prison guards with disciplinary cases open, following the escape from Vale de Judeus, refused to give statements to the SAI, citing a lack of knowledge about the accusations against them, as reported by the National Union of the Prison Guard Corps (SNCGP), which legally represents them in this process.
A total of nine disciplinary processes were initiated, including one against the former director of the Vale de Judeus prison, Horácio Ribeiro.
The disciplinary processes were opened by the Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, following recommendations from a report prepared by the SAI and submitted to the government on October 17, roughly a month after the escape of five inmates from Vale de Judeus on September 7.
Regarding the former director of the Vale de Judeus prison, Horácio Ribeiro, the report pointed to “breach of general duties to pursue the public interest, diligence, and loyalty.” It highlighted the fact that the acting director “did not ensure compliance with the guidelines regarding surveillance and security, particularly in homologating the rosters.”
The report concluded that the head of the prison guard held responsibility for the surveillance and security on the day of the escape, specifically the establishment of the surveillance schedule (both physical and video) for the inner yards.
With respect to the prison guards, which included a wing chief, the report cited breaches of general duties to pursue the public interest and “certain special duties.”
“They did not comply with various instructions, including written guidelines. These failures resulted in a lack of scrupulous physical surveillance and video surveillance, facilitating the escape of the inmates and preventing their timely detection,” read the communiqué.
The escape from Vale de Judeus prompted the Minister of Justice to order a security audit of Portuguese prisons and led to the dismissal of the then director-general of the DGRSP, Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves. He was temporarily replaced by Isabel Leitão, and Orlando Carvalho has since been appointed as the new director-general.
The security audit of the 49 prisons, requested by the Minister of Justice and released at the end of the year, highlighted “deficiencies” in the equipment, organization, and resource management.
The escape also led to a disciplinary investigation of the guards on video surveillance duty at the time of the escape and an inquiry by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to determine potential criminal responsibilities.
On September 7, 2024, Argentine Rodolfo Lohrman, Briton Mark Roscaleer, Georgian Shergili Farjiani, and Portuguese nationals Fábio Loureiro and Fernando Ribeiro Ferreira fled from Vale de Judeus.
All escapees have since been recaptured, with only one apprehended in Portugal.
At the time of their escape, the five inmates were serving sentences ranging from seven to 25 years for crimes including drug trafficking, criminal association, robbery, kidnapping, and money laundering, among others.
