Two women who pretended to be health professionals were arrested for qualified fraud, usurpation of functions and offense to aggravated physical integrity, for having resulted in the death of the victims, in some cases, in an operation carried out by the Directorate of the South of the Judiciary Police .
Following an ongoing investigation, which is being directed by the Public Ministry of Olhão, two suspects aged 66 and 39 were identified and arrested, "one of Portuguese nationality and the other of foreign nationality, residing in the southern part of the country" .
According to the PJ, the women, who claimed to be "doctors or health professionals with the corresponding academic title", promised "the cure for a wide range of common and serious diseases, including oncology, using alternative medicine practices". .
The treatments were proposed and administered «to people residing throughout the country, including children (some newborns and with indication of specialized pediatric therapy), as well as animals», having used for this purpose «spaces that functioned as clinics for service», where «so-called homeopathic preparations and conventional medicines, some of which are injectable, were also produced, manipulated, fractioned and stored».
«During the police operation carried out, in addition to having seized an important body of evidence and various substances presumably dangerous to health, it was possible to identify several patient victims of these practices, in particular cancer patients, some already deceased, to whom, in exchange payment of sums in cash, the detainees promised to cure their illness, even suggesting that they abandon conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy», describes the Judiciária.
Alternatively, the detainees suggested to cancer patients “therapies and drug preparations or supplements not registered or authorized in the national territory, manufactured or manipulated by themselves, some with labeling alluding to potentially dangerous compounds, especially if administered to cancer patients”.
The steps had the contribution of elements of Infarmed, the Health Regulatory Entity and a representative of the Order of Psychologists.
The detainees will be present at the first judicial interrogation for the application of coercive measures.
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