Trial proceedings commence this Tuesday at the Court of Angra do Heroísmo, located on Terceira Island in the Azores, for a suspect accused of murdering Ademir Moreno, a 49-year-old Cape Verdean citizen, on Faial Island.
The 24-year-old defendant is charged with homicide and bodily harm, allegedly motivated by “racial hatred,” according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The case dates back to March 18, 2024, when a confrontation occurred outside a Faial nightclub between the suspect and the victim. Ademir Moreno suffered multiple assaults resulting in a cranial hematoma and died at Horta Hospital.
The suspect was apprehended shortly after the incident. Following an initial judicial interrogation, he was placed under house arrest with an electronic bracelet and remained so until now.
This week, more than a year post-incident, the suspect was transferred to Terceira for trial. The proceedings are set to hear 25 witnesses.
If convicted, the accused faces a sentence ranging from 12 to 15 years in prison.
The crime, noted for its violent nature, sparked significant outrage and condemnation across the archipelago at the time. A vigil in Horta drew hundreds seeking justice for Ademir.
Earlier this month, the Anti-Racism Collective reported another racially motivated assault on Faial Island. An international student from the University of the Azores was reportedly “violently attacked” in a sudden, unprovoked incident on the early morning of May 31, requiring hospital treatment.
