An indictment revealed in late September details a case involving a man whom the victim, a child, regarded as a grandfather. The victim often stayed at her grandparents’ house while her mother worked, and the man frequently picked her up from school.
The indictment states that due to the familial relationship and the care he provided, the man exploited the situation to engage in sexual acts with the child, satisfying his desires. These actions occurred when the child was between six and nine years old, during her initial years of elementary school.
On numerous occasions, the man allegedly abused the child, instructing her to keep silent. The child complied out of fear that no one would believe her and that her family might become destabilized.
In March, at nine years old, the child began inflicting self-harm, causing injuries particularly to her left arm, and disclosed the abuse at school. The school immediately reported the situation to the Judiciary Police, according to a police source at the time.
By the end of that month, the police detained the suspect, who has since been held in preventive custody at the Lisbon Prison awaiting trial.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office is in the process of potentially initiating formal proceedings, with the case proceeding to trial if not formally contested.
