The Supreme Court (STJ) sentenced a man who sexually assaulted a disabled woman in a church parish in the Lisbon area to six years in prison and a fine of 15 thousand euros, reports Jornal de Notícias.
The attacker, 62, assaulted the victim, 49, in the parish mortuary chapel. The victim suffered from a global developmental disorder, could not independently manage her life, and also worked as a volunteer in the parish social service. The man, the church usher, took advantage of this and whenever he could, he took his wife to the chapel, to which he had the key, and performed activities on the sofas reserved for those who participated in the wake.
According to the newspaper, the attacker abused the victim at least twice before 2020 and again in July 2021.
When friends of the victim’s family learned of the incident, they immediately reported it, and the parish initiated disciplinary proceedings against the church usher, which resulted in his dismissal. In May 2023, the man was sentenced to six years in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros by the victim, now 51, for moral damages and because STJ considered that these were “acts committed in a treasonous manner.” , taking advantage of trips to church, the defendant planned his actions and persistently called her.”
He also adds that the attacker took advantage of the woman’s trust in him to carry out these acts, although he knew that she “had no opportunity to object.”