A martial arts instructor detained in Loures, in the Lisbon district, on suspicion of dozens of sexual abuse crimes against a 15-year-old high-performance athlete has been placed in preventive detention, the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) announced today.
According to an official source from the PJ, the 70-year-old detainee was brought before a judicial interrogation and was subject to the most serious preventive measure, preventive detention.
In a statement released late this morning, the PJ’s Lisbon and Vale do Tejo Directorate indicated that the suspect is charged with 30 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of children and 289 counts of sexual abuse of a dependent minor or one in a particularly vulnerable situation, but “the existence of more victims” has already been confirmed.
The police revealed that the detainee “has been a martial arts master for 50 years and was currently teaching graduated athletes, children, and adults,” adding that the victim, who has been training with the suspect since the age of 12, trained daily with the instructor.
“Exploiting the strong influence he had over the athlete, the suspect forced her to suffer sexual abuse for more than two years. The minor sought help from her mother, who ultimately turned to a lawyer to report the facts to the PJ,” the statement read.
The arrest took place in Loures, Lisbon district, following “urgent proceedings, with a particular focus on the crime scene,” according to the PJ.
