The Court of Évora Relationship (THREE) decided that a teacher, of 53 year old, from the Odemira School Group and resident in the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP), remain suspended from practicing the profession in any educational establishment and from contacts with a student, of 16 years, given the strong evidence of eight crimes of sexual abuse of minors and one crime of stalking.
From the resource to the TRE, analyzed last day 5 November, the federal judges only agreed to revoke the defendant's requirement for biweekly appearances at the police station closest to his residence, ordered by the Criminal Investigation Judge (JIC) of the Court of Odemira, during the hearing in the first interrogation.
The teacher took advantage of his superiority over the students, towards the same, have physical contacts that are concealed and justified by any rule, such as removing cell phones from students' back pockets or wearing necklaces. Without authorization, went through students’ backpacks and cell phones, with the aim of being able to access the photo gallery.
In contesting the JIC decision, the appellant justifies that “since February he knew about the existence of the process, and only 15 May, I was made a defendant, to appear in the first judicial interrogation”, remembering having traveled 1.000 kilometers round trip, between Porto and Odemira. The individual is on medical leave and living at his mother's house in AMP.
The case was triggered when 23 students, of both sexes os, filed a joint complaint with the school management, and after, to the Public Ministry (MP) Odemira, “targeting the teacher’s inappropriate behavior”. All subscribers were heard by the MP, 10 students, and the complaint with the inquiries resulted in “the indictment of the appellant and subjection to first interrogation”, refers in the response to the appeal to the Magistrate responsible for the process.
According to this, “everyone reported having witnessed the situations pointed out to the teacher, only about female students”, adding that there was a record of “coercion against at least two students if they reported what was happening in the classroom, with the door locked”, justified. The Prosecutor reports that there was constant and non-consensual physical contact with a student from 16 years and that the proposal for awarding the grade was formulated 20 at the same, in exchange for “something” between them, as compensation.
The Odemira MP Prosecutor did not spare the accused, justifying that he “denies the facts, does not recognize the inadequacy of its conduct, and when summoned by the complaint filed, tried to intimidate and frighten the victim students”, adding that it reveals “a feeling of impunity and also did not internalize the seriousness of the situation”, finished.
Turn, the judges ruled as proven the fact that the evidence already contained in the case file “makes a complete blank slate of the defendant’s version, and that it finds no support”, there is no reason that could exempt the defendant from liability or the termination of the criminal case, maintaining two of the three JIC decisions.
The case continues to run at the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Court of Odemira, charges have not yet been filed against the teacher.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
