The defendants requested the judges prevent his presence at the courtroom to avoid future conflicts.
During the morning session, two members of the Sousa family recounted being attacked by two ‘Aleixo’ individuals in the Dragon Arena during FC Porto’s General Assembly in November 2023.
“My son was the first to be attacked. I moved my family away. Then, I was thrown down the stairs, breaking two ribs. The SPDE, who were supposed to protect us, didn’t; it was my son who defended me. Watching the videos is painful; I never imagined experiencing something like this,” Carlos Sousa testified, accompanied by his wife and son.
According to the testimonies of Carlos Sousa and his son, João Pedro, the altercation erupted when João Pedro alerted security about the tense atmosphere at the assembly, with fans being coerced if they did not join in the chants supporting the then-president, Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa.
After the alert, João Pedro was confronted by Vítor Manuel ‘Aleixo’, who crossed the venue to slap him, sparking further violence with the father stepping in to defend him.
“When I got worried with bottles flying, I spoke to security. ‘Aleixo’ [father] accused me of being ungrateful; my parents tried to calm things. Another man punched my dad, and my mom was grabbed. My dad tried to escape up the stairs, but ‘Aleixo’ son attacked him, causing him to fall,” João Pedro explained.
The defendants admitted their actions and presented apologies in court.
A CMTV journalist also testified about Vítor ‘Catão’s’ threats to a colleague near the Estádio do Dragão, already addressed in the last session.
“Vítor ‘Catão’ recognized my colleague and incited fans to damage our car and attack us. At that point, some Super Dragões members intervened and asked him to stop. They protected us and advised us to leave,” the journalist said, highlighting the supporters’ group’s role.
The 12 defendants in Operation Pretoriano, including former Super Dragões leader Fernando Madureira, began answering to 31 charges on March 17 at the São João Novo Court, Porto, under tight police security.
The charges include 19 counts of aggravated coercion and threats, seven of assault during a sporting event, one of public incitement to crime, another of throwing objects or liquids, and three of infringing on freedom of information, related to FC Porto’s General Assembly in November 2023.
Among the defendants, Fernando Madureira is the only one in pre-trial detention, the most severe measure, while the others were released at different stages.
