The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) stated on Tuesday that its post regarding a sexual abuse case in Lisbon was “solely preventive and informative” and “regretted” that the message “may have been interpreted differently from the initial intention.”
The controversy originates from a Facebook post last Thursday, where PJ disclosed the detention of “a man for a sexual abuse crime against a 17-year-old girl.” The post explained that the “crime happened in Lisbon following a night out, during which the victim ended up unconscious after excessive alcohol consumption.”
In that post, the authority stated that “the incapacity to react” due to alcohol intake “dictated yet another victim,” issuing several recommendations such as “moderating alcohol consumption,” “not accepting and monitoring drinks,” and “refusing rides from strangers.”
This publication drew criticism from the Associação Portuguesa de Mulheres Juristas (APMJ) and the Movimento Democrático de Mulheres.
In a response to Notícias ao Minuto, the PJ reiterated its “absolute commitment to the prevention and fight against sexual crimes and the protection and dignifying of victims.”
“The alert recently published on PJ’s social media (October 30) had a solely preventive and informative purpose, aiming to raise awareness among the population—especially the youth—about the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption in nightlife settings and the necessity for self-protective behaviors. At no point was it intended to blame the victim or relativize the criminal responsibility of the aggressor, which is total and inalienable,” the statement added.
The authority stated that the “objective was to enhance public awareness that certain circumstances, like vulnerability induced by alcohol or substances, can increase the risk of victimization, warranting attention and prudence.”
“The PJ regrets if the published message may have been interpreted differently from the initial intention. However, it reaffirms that crime prevention—in its various forms, including social information and awareness—constitutes an institutional duty complementing criminal investigation and pursuit of aggressors,” the authority concluded.
The PJ emphasized that their mission is “to protect people, support victims, and resolutely fight all crimes against sexual freedom and self-determination.”
APMJ expressed “repulsion and concern.” MDM filed a complaint
The Associação Portuguesa de Mulheres Juristas (APMJ) sent a letter on Monday to PJ national director Luís Neves, expressing “repulsion and concern” regarding the note.
In the letter, APMJ expressed “repulsion and concern about the way” the informative note was written because “its reading implies that the aggressor’s behavior was triggered by the victim’s actions, as if she were responsible for the assault she suffered and as if the crime occurred solely due to her not offering resistance.”
In addition to the APMJ’s alert, a complaint was also filed with the Comissão para a Cidadania e Igualdade de Género by the Movimento Democrático de Mulheres.
The movement, cited by Jornal de Notícias, stated, “the text and selected image shift the crime’s focus to a woman’s image, insinuating a causal link between being a woman, going out at night, consuming alcohol, and ‘bad outcomes.'”
A Associação Portuguesa de Mulheres Juristas expressed “repulsion and concern” over a PJ social media post about sexual abuse in Lisbon, considering it blames the victim and reinforces prejudices about sexual crimes.
Márcia Guímaro Rodrigues | 20:45 – 03/11/2025
17-year-old girl sexually abused by nightclub security
In a statement sent last Wednesday, October 29, to newsrooms, the PJ confirmed the detention of “a 36-year-old man for the crime of sexual abuse of a person incapable of resistance, in an aggravated form, with the victim being a 17-year-old girl in Lisbon.”
The crime occurred in August 2025 “in a hotel establishment,” and the suspect “is a security guard at a nightlife venue the victim attended with a group of friends.”
That morning, the girl became intoxicated, and the suspect, previously convicted for similar crimes, offered his vehicle for her to “recover from her incapacitated state.” However, he took advantage of her unconsciousness and “drove her to a hotel establishment where he committed the sexual abuse.”
The crime was reported to the Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP), which transferred the case to the PJ.
[Updated at 18:59]
