Parents demand €500,000 following death of son struck by goalpost at Leiria school
A 15-year-old pupil died in 2021 after a goalpost fell during a physical education lesson. The parents are claiming almost €500,000 in damages from the teacher and the religious congregation that owns the school.
Family takes legal action four years after teenager's death in Leiria
The parents of a 15-year-old pupil who died after being struck by a goalpost at a school in Leiria are seeking judicial damages of nearly €500,000 from the physical education teacher responsible for the lesson and the religious congregation that owns the school. The information was reported by CNN Portugal, based on the initial petition to which the Lusa news agency had access.
The case is being heard at the Civil Court of Leiria. The action seeks the joint and several condemnation of the defendants to pay approximately €233,000 to the pupil's mother for material damages. To this amount are added €265,000 demanded for interim damages, for the loss of the right to life and for non-material damages — sums claimed against both the teacher and the Congregation of the Hospitalier Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.
The accident occurred on 25 May 2021, during a physical education lesson on the synthetic grass football pitch of Colégio Conciliar de Maria Imaculada. The teenager, who was in his ninth year of schooling, hung from the goalpost and was projected forwards, falling to the ground with the structure on top of him, which struck him in the head area. The pupil died at Santo André Hospital in Leiria less than an hour after the accident.
According to the initial petition, the goalpost was not fixed to the ground nor did it have any counterweight to prevent it from falling or moving.
Teacher already convicted criminally
In the criminal proceedings, the Public Ministry charged the physical education teacher and the school director with gross negligence manslaughter. During the pre-trial investigation phase, the judge decided not to bring the director to trial.
In October 2025, the Court of Leiria convicted the teacher to one year and two months in prison, with the sentence suspended for an equal period and without probationary regime, for the crime of gross negligence manslaughter.
The civil damages claim, admitted during the criminal trial, was subsequently referred to the civil courts, giving rise to the action now underway.
Shared responsibilities between teacher and congregation
The initial petition describes the distribution of responsibilities between the two parties. The teacher was responsible for ensuring "the correct and careful use of materials used in the lesson" and for verifying, before the activity began, whether the equipment met safety conditions.
The religious congregation, as owner of the school, was responsible for the management of structures and equipment and the hiring of human resources, among other aspects. Because the teacher was employed by and worked on behalf of the congregation, both are considered jointly and severally liable for damages arising from the fatal accident, according to the document.
The petition also includes a description of the teenager's school career and personality, as well as the family environment, and details the consequences of his death on the health and personal and professional lives of the parents.
A preliminary hearing of the case is scheduled for 22 September.
Source: CNN Portugal