The defense team for the man accused of murdering Mónica Silva, a 33-year-old pregnant woman who disappeared in October 2023, has sharply criticized the investigation conducted by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ). They claimed that the inspectors allegedly assaulted a witness to “say they performed a cleaning that never happened.” The authorities have dismissed these claims and have pledged to “take criminal action where appropriate.” The Public Ministry (MP) is currently investigating the matter.
In their closing arguments, Fernando Valente’s defense accused PJ inspectors of assaulting the witness, Octávio Oliveira, to “say they performed a cleaning that never happened,” asserting that “evidence was manipulated and concealed.”
During the trial, conducted behind closed doors, the witness reportedly confirmed that he cleaned the apartment but did not mention a “deep cleaning,” according to the lawyer representing Mónica Silva’s minor children and widow.
“He said he was cleaning inside the house, vacuuming, dusting (…) he only mentioned it was a cleaning, not a deep cleaning as suggested,” stated lawyer Falé de Carvalho, who requested a certificate against the witness for false statements.
Meanwhile, the PJ has rejected any suspicions regarding the integrity and legal procedures in obtaining testimonies and stated to Lusa that they understand why these arguments were invoked during and only after the trial.
“The facts now publicized, which were already public earlier, had been summarily filed by the Public Ministry,” they said.
The same source warned that “the Polícia Judiciária knows and understands these strategies against which it will take criminal action where appropriate.”
Questioned by the news agency, the presiding judge of the Aveiro District Court confirmed that a certificate was issued to investigate an alleged crime of torture against the man hired to clean the apartment where the crime allegedly occurred.
“The issuance of the certificate was requested by the defendant’s lawyer because, in their view, the testimony of the witness Octávio Oliveira revealed facts that might constitute the crime of torture, cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment, denial of justice and prevarication, as well as document falsification,” indicated judge Jorge Bispo.
An alleged crime of torture against the man hired to clean the apartment, where the crime is said to have occurred, is under investigation.
Lusa | 11:13 – 02/07/2025
The judge also mentioned that the certificate was forwarded to the Department of Investigation and Penal Action of Aveiro for investigation purposes, with neither the certificate nor the related request or ruling identifying the person allegedly responsible for such acts.
The trial, held with a jury (composed of three career judges and eight jurors), has the reading of the judgment scheduled for Tuesday, at the Aveiro Court.
It should be noted that Fernando Valente, who had a romantic relationship with the victim that resulted in a pregnancy, is charged with the crimes of qualified homicide, abortion, desecration of a corpse, illegitimate access, and acquisition of counterfeit currency for circulation.
The defendant, who is under house arrest, was detained by the PJ in November 2023, more than a month after the disappearance of Mónica Silva, who was seven months pregnant.
The MP accuses the defendant of killing the victim and the fetus she was carrying on the night of October 3, 2023, in his apartment in Torreira, Murtosa municipality, to avoid being attributed paternity and benefiting from her assets.
The accusation further states that during the early morning of October 4 and the following days, the defendant allegedly disposed of the victim’s body, taking it to an undisclosed location, hiding it, and preventing it from being found to this day.
