Since November 9, Carla [fictitious name] has been living in constant worry. Her 19-year-old son, detained at the Leiria Prison Facility for Young Inmates, has allegedly been subjected to assaults by prison guards, and she accuses the facility of covering up the situation.
Carla has filed a complaint, asserting that “everyone will answer in court.”
The Alleged Assaults
The young man, detained since March for “neighborhood brawls,” claims to have been assaulted multiple times during his roughly seven-month detention, with the most severe incident occurring at the beginning of this month.
The incident was allegedly witnessed by his aunt during her weekly visit. As she was preparing to leave after her visit, she reportedly heard a loud noise and someone shouting “Aunt, aunt, they’re beating me, aunt, they’re beating me!” Certain it was her nephew, she refused to leave without checking on him.
The aunt confronted a guard who had left when the noise was heard, and later questioned another guard about the incident, receiving the same dismissive responses: “there’s nothing” or “you heard wrong.”
The Complaint and Cover-Up Accusations
The young man’s aunt filed a complaint before leaving the Leiria Prison Facility, noting that “all the guards had removed their name tags to hide their identities.”
“The guards present during the initial incident did not have visible identification, making it impossible to know who was on duty at the time of the assault,” the family claims, accusing the facility of physical assault and attempting to cover up the actions of the prison staff.
The Leiria PSP confirms that authorities were called to the prison at “17:10” on the day of the assault. At the scene, “alleged assaults on a young inmate inside the facility” were reported. The PSP also confirms there was no identification of suspects of the alleged physical assaults.
The PSP registered the incident, preserving and maintaining possible evidence and sending the records to the Leiria Public Prosecutor’s Office, responsible for opening and directing the inquiry.
Prison Accuses Inmate of Disorderly Conduct
Notícias ao Minuto contacted the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services regarding the complaint. The agency confirms that there was “a need to use coercive measures” after the inmate disobeyed orders, “insulted the prison guard personnel and damaged state property”, when attempts were made to return him to his cell on November 9.
Following this, the young inmate was examined by a nurse on the same day and the next, “without evidence of injuries.”
When asked why medical accompaniment was necessary, the DGRSP clarified that such examination complies with Article 95, Paragraph 5 of Law 115/2009, of October 12, which mandates that “the use of coercive measures must be followed by a medical examination.”
The examinations, the agency notes, found “no evidence of injuries,” a finding disputed by the family of the inmate.
Prison Under Scrutiny; Mother Claims Assaults Are Recurring
Carla says that since the incident, her son “calls every day complaining of chest and head pain. He cannot turn his neck and has bruises all over his body and face.”
The mother insists that her son had been assaulted previously, warned by a fellow inmate who contacted her with details.
In this case, once again, she received no answers and only the prison administration’s suggestion that “her son would face consequences, and he would not be the only one.”
In response to these allegations, the DGRSP emphasizes that it is “an entity under constant scrutiny both internally and externally, being subject to visits, audits, and continuous reports conducted by the Ombudsman, the Inspectorate-General of Justice Services, the United Nations Committee Against Torture, the European Council Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the European Court of Human Rights, among others.”
Furthermore, it asserts that all “disciplinary offenses are subject to corresponding processes and subsequent legally prescribed sanctions” and assures that those involved in the incident were properly identified, contrary to Carla’s claim.
Mother Determined to Uphold Son’s Rights
Carla insists that, despite his incarceration, her son “does not lose his rights and duties” and promises that, “as a mother and legal representative,” she will “uphold his rights.”
“They do whatever they want, and it is always the inmates who are punished,” she laments, accusing the Leiria Prison Facility of “lying to avoid consequences” and to “keep a good image.”
