Partners condemn abuse at Lar do Comercio in Matosinhos

one of them a year ago – already in the period of office of the new management, who took office in January 2021, even having in one of these appointments as a witness an employee of a house with more than 100 residents, more than 40 bedridden or non-autonomous people.

The current president of Lar do Comércio took office in January 2021, four years after he resigned from the vice-president position he held there for disagreeing with “some of the things that happened there.”

So far, according to partner Raul Rodriguez, they are unaware of any intervention from the Social Security, which is responsible for the homes.

In response to Lusa’s question, the Social Security Service has yet to provide any clarification.

In a complaint filed on February 24 by MP Matosinhos, the signatories and partners of this institution claim that this “lack of conditions” even led to several users leaving the house.

“There are reports that residents are being abused in terms of providing food in small and smaller quantities, poor medical and drug treatment due to the lack of hiring technicians for this purpose, as well as the personal hygiene of residents and bedridden people. Human. was very scarce,” the report said.

In the document, also backed by photographs, the participants also denounced the presence of users with “corresponding bodily injuries as a result of poor hygiene towards these users.”

“You can also see [nas fotos anexadas à participação] a state of great despondency and neediness of older people sitting in aprons, serving as bibs, with empty plastic cups and without any protection or advice from anyone. There were no staff in the room to attend to any needs that arose,” they claim.

These photographs are of concern to the signatories of the complaint, who indicate that Lar do Comércio “has the financial means to provide competent services of all kinds to users and residents”, demanding an investigation, namely the accounts of the institution that is responsible in the process, where they are charged with identical charges .

The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) contacted Lusa and confirmed that an investigation had been launched under the auspices of Matosinhos’ Department of Investigations and Criminal Affairs (DIAP).

In a process that has already reached the stage of trial, the former chairman of the board, the former director of the service and the Private Social Solidarity Institution (PSSO) itself are accused of 67 crimes of ill-treatment, 17 of them with aggravating consequences of death. . At the first hearing on February 14, the three defendants remained silent.

In the indictment, the deputy alleges that between January 2015 and February 2020, the defendants “violated the duties inherent in their positions,” despite the fact that the institution had the financial means to do so, acting “with the knowledge that inaction for users can lead to their death, as happened with 17 hospitalized users.”

In the same year, Lar do Comércio was even decontaminated by the Portuguese army: more than 100 elderly people became infected with covid-19, 24 of whom eventually died.

On October 19, 2020, a report from the Human Rights Commission of the Portuguese Bar Association (CDHOA) was made public, according to which Lar do Comércio showed signs of a “serious violation” of human rights and “repeated non-compliance” with the guidance received from the inspections.

The private institution of Social Solidarity was founded on June 26, 1936 in Matosinhos, in the Porto region.

Lusa asked Lara do Comercio a question, but has not yet received an answer.