A man attacked a woman who fell asleep in the car but was arrested by the Lisbon Judiciary Police four months after the crime. The evidence left no doubt and the court ordered pre-trial detention.
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Context & Explainers
Preventive detention (prisão preventiva) is a court-ordered measure that keeps a suspect in custody before trial when a judge decides there is a real risk they might flee, tamper with evidence, or pose a danger to others. It is temporary and not a conviction; in the recent case five of the 37 alleged members were ordered to await the investigation in preventive detention by the Central Criminal Investigation Court. Those detained should request a lawyer and can seek consular assistance if they are foreign nationals, while family or lawyers can ask the court to review or lift the measure.
