Man stabs nine people at addiction recovery association in Santarém
A 26-year-old man is being tried at Santarém Court for attacking users and staff of the Picapau Association with knives during a psychotic episode.
Trial begins in Santarém following knife attack at Almoster social welfare institution
Santarém Court has begun proceedings against a 26-year-old man accused of attacking nine people — residents and workers — at the Picapau Association, a private social solidarity institution dedicated to the recovery of drug addicts. The case, reported by Correio da Manhã, occurred following a psychotic episode that led the defendant to pursue and threaten anyone he encountered.
The Public Prosecutor's Office accuses him of four counts of attempted homicide and six counts of assault causing bodily harm, one of which in aggravated form.
The incident of 21 October 2025
The facts date back to 21 October 2025. After lunch, the defendant was informed that he would be expelled from the residence located in the parish of Almoster, in the municipality of Santarém, for repeatedly refusing to comply with the institution's rules.
News of the expulsion triggered a violent reaction. The man went to the kitchen, picked up a knife with a 12-centimetre blade and advanced on the five people he held responsible for the decision. He attacked three of them before dropping the weapon and returning with two larger knives, both with 18-centimetre blades.
Thirty minutes of terror
According to the charge, the attack lasted approximately 30 minutes, until the arrival of the GNR. During this period, residents and staff sought shelter in different rooms of the house. The defendant used a fire extinguisher to break the glass of an office and spread the chemical powder over the victims who had barricaded themselves inside. He then stabbed one of the association's officials who was unable to escape.
The final toll was nine injured, two of whom in serious condition, with white-weapon wounds to various parts of the body.
Source: Correio da Manhã