Suspect in rape of elderly woman in Anadia extradited from Spain after two years on the run
A 19-year-old man suspected of raping an octogenarian during a robbery in Anadia in 2024 has been detained in Spain and extradited to Portugal, and is now in pre-trial detention.
Fifth defendant in Anadia case handed over to Portuguese authorities
The Judicial Police (PJ) announced on Friday the detention and extradition from Spain of a 19-year-old man suspected of rape and robbery committed on 1 July 2024 at a residence in Anadia, in the municipality of Aveiro. According to CNN Portugal, the detainee is currently in pre-trial detention in Portugal.
In a statement, the PJ described how the suspect and his accomplices "forced entry" into a dwelling where a woman over 80 years old lived, who "was restrained and assaulted during the commission of the crime". Following the offence, the young man fled the country, which led the Aveiro authorities to issue a European arrest warrant. The investigation is the responsibility of the Criminal Investigation Department of Aveiro.
The PJ also added that the defendant "already had extensive police records for the previous commission of similar crimes". After extradition, he was brought before a court for the application of precautionary measures, having been placed in pre-trial detention.
Four accomplices already convicted
This case had resulted, a few weeks after the crimes, in the detention of four other suspects, who were tried and convicted in July 2025 by the Aveiro Court.
Two men received sentences of ten and a half years in prison for the crimes of robbery and kidnapping. A woman was sentenced to a suspended sentence of five years for crimes related to the abusive use of the victim's bank card. A fourth defendant was acquitted of the facts alleged against her regarding the cash card.
The group robbed the woman, who was then 78 years old and lived alone in an isolated house in Anadia. In total, €200 in cash, a quantity of tobacco and the victim's cash card were stolen, which was later used for withdrawals and purchases totalling more than €1,600.
The fifth defendant, now detained, is suspected of having raped the elderly woman while the other accomplices carried out withdrawals using the victim's card. Because he fled following the crimes, the court determined the separation of cases, allowing the four initially detained individuals to be tried independently.
Source: CNN Portugal