A 70-year-old martial arts instructor, with 50 years of experience, has been arrested in the municipality of Loures for allegedly sexually abusing a girl over 300 times over several years, the Judiciary Police (PJ) announced in a statement on Monday.
Investigators suspect him of “30 counts of aggravated child sexual abuse and 289 counts of sexual abuse of a minor dependent or in a particularly vulnerable situation involving a 15-year-old child.”
The victim, an “elite athlete,” had been training with the suspect since she was 12 years old, attending daily training sessions with him.
The instructor, commonly referred to as a “master,” was currently teaching “graduated athletes, children, and adults.”
The suspect allegedly used his “strong influence” over the athlete to subject her to “suffering sexual abuse for over two years,” according to the PJ.
The minor eventually sought help from her mother, leading her to consult a lawyer to report the details to the Judiciary Police (PJ).
The detainee will now be brought before the judicial authorities for an initial interrogation, where an appropriate coercive measure will be applied.
