Suspect in assault and robbery of parents in Famalican acquitted due to silence of victims

This Wednesday, a Guimarães court acquitted a man from Vila Nova de Famalicão who was accused of threatening and assaulting his parents to steal money from them to fuel his addiction to drugs and alcohol.

According to the court, the defendant took advantage of the silence of his parents, who refused to testify at the court session, “even after the materiality of their testimony had been ascertained.”

“Thus, the fact of recognition by the defendant is proved, that is, the demand or request for the issuance of money and the actual issuance of money,” the verdict says.

The 30-year-old defendant, who has a schizophrenic disorder, denied that anyone had made death threats or assaults on his parents because, he alleged, “he loved them very much, missed them and would like to be unable to hurt them in any way.” or harm.”

The Court found that the family dynamic was damaged by the defendant’s unstable behavior in demanding money from his parents, “a condition that was associated with the persistence of an addictive habit that would exacerbate mental problems.”

“The parents showed some ambivalence and inability to come to terms with the behavior of the defendant, but continued to support him, especially the mother,” the verdict also says.

The defendant was charged with four crimes of theft, two of which were attempts between January and April 2022, all involving threats and/or assaults on parents to “extract” money from them.

In view of the absence of corpus delicti, the court acquitted him, also ruling, contrary to the demand of the prosecutor’s office, not to declare him harmless and dangerous and not to impose a preventive measure in the form of detention in a medical institution. corresponding to his anomaly.