The PSP detained the three youths «the most active of the group» who attacked the Nepalese citizen in Olhão. The information was advanced this Monday, February 13, by superintendent Dário Prates, in a press conference.
According to the district commander of the Public Security Police, after viewing more than 20.000 videos, as well as hundreds of hours of CCTV images, and other steps, it was possible to identify 11 young people from Olhão, eight boys and three girls, with aged between 14 and 16, belonging to the group, who participated in or witnessed the violent acts.
The images released on February 2 led the PSP to carry out a criminal investigation and "despite there being no complaints" it was possible "to identify the victim and receive her testimony".
The district commander reveals that today the collection of evidence was carried out through six house searches and that it was "possible to link the group with eight occurrences, 5 for robberies and 3 for assaults, in the month of January alone".
Young people, students and residents of Olhão, «communicated with each other through a closed group on the Instagram social network, which they named “8700”», revealed the commander.
«The group’s action involved choosing especially vulnerable victims, either because of their birthplace (Indian and Nepalese communities) or because of their social condition (homelessness), or because of their age (a 16-year-old victim) taking advantage of the power of the collective, based on an extreme gratuitous and spontaneous violence, especially on the part of the three of the young people with greater ancestry in the group, today detained», he also clarified.
The PSP believes that, in addition to the motivations inherent in the indicted crimes (theft and serious physical offenses), «there are also motivations related to the promotion of their affirmation in the streets of Olhão, and those who accompanied them and witnessed the violent acts , as a form of belonging or integration in the group».
Thus, in a few days, the group contributed, according to the PSP, «to the increase of the feeling of insecurity, especially of the Indian and Nepalese communities, residing in the city of Olhão», despite the fact that their illicit conduct also targeted citizens of other nationalities, including Portuguese.
The suspects are now indicted for five crimes of theft, four crimes of offense to qualified physical integrity and one crime of damage with violence.
Most of the victims identified are immigrants and of the eight events flagged, the PSP only had a record of two of them – a robbery in which the victim is a 16-year-old Portuguese youth, and the disorder in an Indian restaurant.
In a press conference, Dário Prates also highlighted that «none of the foreign victims of the robberies felt the necessary confidence to file a criminal complaint, which clearly demonstrates their condition of vulnerability».
In the end, the commander wanted to leave a message to all migrant communities in Portugal, noting that «the Police, as a representative of the State, have the obligations to respect and protect the fundamental rights of all citizens, including the right to justice ».
"Everyone should have the necessary confidence to file a complaint when they are victims of crime, always counting on the support, solidarity and commitment of the police to safeguard their fundamental rights", he concluded, appealing to all citizens, especially the most vulnerable ones. young people, adhere to "a culture of inclusion, which promotes social peace, respect for the rights of all citizens, not just indifference to cases of flagrant abuse, it is necessary to challenge these acts of violence perpetrated against vulnerable victims head-on, through timely communication to the Police".
Comments