Indignation with judicial response to adolescent violation in Loures

Hundreds of people, individually or collectively, express their indignation from Cgroup violation of a teenager in Loures and their judicial response.

In a statement, the subscribers argue that “the accused llibertation conveys a dangerous message of impunity and shows structural failures in the protection of victims of sexual violence“

In the note “Sexual Violence and Impunity: The Crime of Loures”, “concrete measures to hold the suspects, digital platforms and the judicial system” are required.

The statement, released Monday by the Portuguese Platform for Women’s Rights (PPDM), already has the support of more than forty organizations and hundreds of individual subscriptions, in a growing number.

According to the note, the victim of the violation of Loures “was in unambiguous position of vulnerability and asymmetry – either numerical and power and social capital” in relation to the defendants, three young people, who were free, subject to weekly and prohibited presentations to contact the victim.

Subscribers argue that “the release of the three defendants arouses indignation and alarm” and that “the case“ shows a systemic problem in the application of inadequate coercion measures for the prevention of crimes against women and girls, revealing structural failures in the protection of victims and a minority of crimes committed ”.

The note recalls that “violation, in concrete, is an inhuman exercise of control and power, which is inscribed in the culture of male violence against women and girls” and that “this case is not limited to the responsibility of the alleged perpetrators of violation, but involves multiple crimes, various involved and different responsibilities”.

The statement points out that the “judicial response so far conveys a dangerous message of impunity, undermining confidence in the justice system and perpetuating the culture of violence against women and girls” and argues that “the ineffectiveness of the measures applied is already reflected in the conduct of the defendants, who continue to use social networks against the dignity of the victim”.

The subscribers argue in relation to the case « immediate suspension of suspects’ access to social networks, preventing them from continuing to instrumentalize the crime and expose the victim » and the « urgent reinforcement of coercion measures, ensuring the effective protection of the victim and the safety of all people involved. »