A 26-year-old man was arrested on August 25 for raping a 21-year-old foreign woman in the Colares area of Sintra, after being rejected. The attacker used a knife to threaten the victim. He later blocked her on the Tinder dating app and Instagram.
The two initially met on Tinder and later exchanged messages via Instagram, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP).
“On August 25, 2025, the suspect proposed to meet the victim in person, to which she agreed, arranging to meet near a bar in Colares, the locality where she was temporarily residing,” stated the entity in a communiqué issued this Wednesday.
The man arrived at the predetermined spot after 10 PM, and they proceeded to a park in the area. Subsequently, “the suspect immobilized the vehicle and suddenly put an arm around the victim’s neck, attempting to kiss her, which she resisted.”
“As the victim tried to prevent the suspect’s sexual advances, he reached into the side compartment of the car door and pulled out a switchblade. Fearing harm, the victim complied with the suspect’s demands, who forced her to engage in sexual acts,” detailed the MP.
The man then drove the victim back to the meeting point and left.
A few days later, the individual accessed Tinder and Instagram and blocked her.
The Lisbon and Vale do Tejo Division of the Judicial Police (PJ), which conducted the investigation, seized the weapon used in the crime following a house search.
The crime was confirmed through biological examinations, according to the PJ.
The perpetrator was presented for a judicial inquiry on August 28 and was remanded in custody awaiting the placement of an electronic bracelet.
The inquiry is ongoing at the DIAP’s Sintra Nucleus.
