Algerian caregiver sentenced to more than 16 years for death of elderly man in Esposende
A 40-year-old man was sentenced by Braga Court for qualified homicide through omission and desecration of the corpse of an octogenarian who was being cared for in his home in Apúlia, Esposende.
Algerian caregiver sentenced to more than 16 years for death of elderly man in Esposende
Braga Court has imposed a sentence of 16 years and three months' imprisonment on a 40-year-old Algerian citizen accused of allowing the death of an 85-year-old man in his care. The body was subsequently concealed in a wooded area of Ofir, Esposende.
The events occurred in December 2024. The elderly man was residing in the couple's home in the parish of Apúlia under a foster family arrangement. On 9 December, the defendant and his partner administered sedative medications to the elderly man that he did not normally use, causing him extreme debility, inability to eat and breathing difficulties.
Neither the defendant nor his partner sought medical or emergency assistance, remaining impassive as the octogenarian died the following day. Following his death, they chose to hide the body in a pine tree area in Ofir, placing it inside a box and transporting it in their vehicle's boot. The defendant's partner's teenage daughter was tasked with acquiring a spade and caustic soda to assist in concealing the body.
Days later, the couple filed a complaint with the security forces, claiming that the elderly man had left the residence of his own volition and that his whereabouts were unknown.
The investigation conducted by the Judicial Police culminated in the discovery of the body and the arrest of the suspect in late January 2025. During the trial, the defendant acknowledged only his involvement in concealing the corpse, placing responsibility for the death on his partner. In response to the sentence handed down, he again denied any involvement in the homicide.
The court also imposed the ancillary measure of expulsion from the country following completion of the sentence, with a prohibition on returning to Portuguese territory for a period of five years. Compensation of approximately €97,500 in favour of the victim's relatives was also ordered.
The defendant's partner, also a defendant in these proceedings, is said to have fled to Brazil and is currently at an unknown location.
Source: Correio da Manhã
Source: Correio da Manhã