The gang rape committed by the Portuguese became a dark spot for the residents of New Bedford.

The Portuguese in New Bedford still remember the rape of a Portuguese-American woman by four Portuguese in a bar as the “blackest cloud” that descended on this community 40 years ago, leading to their discrimination but also to unprecedented unity.

Cheryl Araujo, 21, was raped by several men on the night of March 6, 1983 at Big Dan’s Bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA. The trial of the case will end with the conviction of the four perpetrators of the crime, who have always maintained that the act was consensual.

What the men had in common was that they were Portuguese, namely from the Azores, which is the main origin of this community.

The case, which has already inspired a film, several books and a documentary on Netflix, continues to haunt the community, especially the older one who felt judged and blamed for being Portuguese, but also resented by the press who insisted on details. which the court found to be false.

“It was a terrible case and it started badly because immediately after the crime, the media started publishing false aspects, such as the presence of several Portuguese applauding the rape. This is what brought America and a bit of the world, because the case became international, thinking: what kind of a race are these Portuguese that are able to applaud something like that? ”Recalled 77-year-old Joao Tomasio.

The Boston Herald, for example, wrote in the headline, “Crowd in bar applauds rape of woman.” The New Bedford Standard-Times, for its part, called the case “Range Rape: A City Shame.”

In the aftermath of the crime, opinions against the Portuguese community were circulated in newspaper articles, as well as on the open antenna of WBSM-AM radio, where messages of hatred and xenophobia were broadcast live.

João Tomasio, an Azorean who came to New Bedford in 1960, followed the case very closely and, in statements to the Lusa news agency, said that the Portuguese community, hitherto regarded as laborers and nurses in their homes, was being condemned.

“The Portuguese never thought that four men were right about raping a woman. What they disagreed with was that they were tried in the square and that the media insisted on their nationality, as if being Portuguese was an excuse for what they had done. done,” he said.

That was one of the reasons Joao Tomasio’s father and he raised $100,000 to post bail for those accused of rape, as otherwise they would have spent nearly a year in jail before trial, he said.

“We saw similar crimes and the bail was much less. It was unfair and that’s why we helped,” he said.

João Tomasio even approached the Portuguese consulate for help, but the response was distancing, which further discouraged the Portuguese, who then decided to form a “justice committee” that would promote the demonstration, which drew 6,000 people for the first time.

This demonstration featured the Portuguese flag and messages such as “We love America, but we are proud to be Portuguese.”

“There were bosses who threatened the Portuguese with unemployment if they took part in the demonstration, but the riot was so great that they didn’t want to know. Later, when the reasons began to reveal themselves, during the trial, those same Bosses understood why the Portuguese needed It was so rallying,” he added.

Look at the director of the Portugal Times, Francisco Menezes, who followed the case and trial, the first of which was broadcast live on CNN.

“No one supported the aggressors because what happened was highly reprehensible. The demonstration was against the discriminatory treatment suffered by the Portuguese,” he told Lusa.

Criticism was also heard among thousands of Portuguese about the behavior of the victim, who died shortly thereafter in a car accident far from New Bedford, namely for being in a bar alone, at night, with small children at home, which angered many. people and, above all, women.

But “this was not the dominant mindset of the Portuguese community”, stressed Francisco Menezes.

Concerned about what had happened, the families of the rapists were “hard hit.” “Some family members felt ashamed and avoided going outside. They were worthy people, with Catholic teachings…,” he said.

Eurico Mendez, 86, followed the case as a journalist and ensures political interests kept it in the spotlight.

And he recalls that they even joked about this topic. “They said that Carlos Lopez won a gold medal at the Olympics. [em Los Angeles, em 1984] because there was a pool table at the finish line,” referring to the place where Cheryl Araujo was raped.

Four rapists were sentenced to 12 years in prison, after serving half. They were never deported to the Azores. According to Joao Tomasio, two have already died, while two others continue to work in the United States.

For João Luis Pacheco, a councilor for the Portuguese communities in Rhode Islands, this was a “very black spot” in the community, where images of suspects in chains and handcuffs still survive, which was unusual at the time.

“Justice was fair, but the rapists did not have to go in such a state. But, fortunately, the case has been erased and forgotten, and it is rarely talked about, ”he told Luce.

Maria Tomasia, who has coordinated the electoral and registration process in the city of New Bedford for decades, regrets that after 40 years, attitudes towards immigration, although not necessarily Portuguese, are “very similar”.

“From a political standpoint, immigrants continue to be targeted because they know they have no power or a voice,” he said, warning of “radical groups that spread hatred against all ethnic groups in the United States.”

Symbol of a painful cause for the Portuguese, Big Dan’s high hopes today for a new future, after closing their doors after the crime, reopening as a bakery and place of worship that also no longer exists.

But it was still sought after by tourists who insisted on taking pictures near the space.