The trial of a 74-year-old Spanish man commenced this morning. Following a morning session, his lawyer, Marisa Gonçalves, informed journalists that the defendant is cooperating with the court and has provided statements to the panel of judges.
“He did not admit to some of the facts stated in the accusation, but we must continue with the presentation of evidence and will proceed calmly,” Gonçalves added, offering a summary to the press since the trial is being held behind closed doors.
Gonçalves declined to specify which facts the defendant denied, indicating further clarification would be provided later.
The trial was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., but the defendant, currently in pretrial detention, arrived approximately 10 minutes late. He was escorted to the courthouse via a side entrance through a shopping center by prison guards.
The proceedings are set to continue this afternoon, with another session planned for Friday at 9:30 a.m., according to the judicial portal Citius.
In January, the Public Prosecutor’s Office charged the man with a total of 10 crimes.
The defendant faces charges of two counts of attempted aggravated homicide, two counts of rape, two counts of abduction, two counts of aggravated robbery involving a firearm, and two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The offenses allegedly occurred on August 6, 2024, near the Barragem de Póvoa e Meadas in the municipality of Castelo de Vide, Portalegre district.
The victims, aged 17 and 22 at the time, are now 18 and 23, respectively. They provided testimonies for future reference and were not present at the trial’s onset.
The defendant is held in pretrial custody at the Carregueira Prison Facility.
The investigation was conducted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Nisa General Competence Court, assisted by the Judicial Police.
On August 6, 2024, a GNR source disclosed to Lusa that the two young women had been shot with a shotgun, sustaining severe injuries near Barragem de Póvoa e Meadas.
The man was apprehended by GNR officers on suspicion of being the shooter after attempting to flee the scene, the source noted at the time.
According to the GNR, the officers found the young women restrained, one with plastic ties, both partially unclothed, while the suspect was in his underwear.
The GNR indicated that the suspect lived near the dam. One of the young women resided in Castelo de Vide and the other in the Lisbon area.
The incident was reported at 11:50 p.m. on August 6, 2024.
