Latest news and stories about child safety in Portugal for expats and residents.
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The victim was threatened by the abuser with the disclosure of the sexual acts they had engaged in. The suspect was arrested by the Portimão Judicial Police.
An 18-year-old was arrested by the Judiciary Police (PJ) in Portimão on suspicion of sexual abuse of a child and threats. The incident occurred in February near a school where both the suspect and the 12-year-old victim were students. The suspect allegedly used social media to lure the child to an isolated area near the school to commit the abuse and later threatened the victim to keep them silent. The case was reported to authorities by the victim's mother after rumors spread at school. The suspect is awaiting a judicial hearing to determine coercive measures.
Madrid’s proposal follows efforts in France, Denmark and Portugal to protect kids online.
In the bill now published by the Social Democratic parliamentary group, it is proposed that verification of the minimum digital age be carried out via the Chave Móvel Digital (Mobile Digital Key) system.
Former pupils report “acts of physical violence”, “bullying, humiliations” and “inappropriate touching, sexual assaults and rapes” at around 20 schools. 70 (of the 72) victims have already been compensated.
A decision by the Australian government has sparked a debate that has already reached Portugal, pitting supporters of regulation against those favouring a total ban.
The PSD will submit a bill proposing age verification at social media account creation to enforce a ban on under-13s and restrict access for under-16s. The measure, described as sensible and largely inevitable in an editorial, aims to protect children and reduce pressures such as the pursuit of likes, though it raises practical enforcement and privacy concerns about verification methods.
The majority of victims in this context are girls aged 11 to 14.
Most victims are women, while the perpetrators are predominantly men. The phenomenon is most concentrated in Lisbon, Porto and Faro. Only half filed a complaint.
The Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) assisted 1,249 victims of school-related violence between 2020 and 2025, representing an increase of 58.9 per cent over these six years.
The suspect was captured on Monday in Matosinhos after a week on the run.
The suspect holds a law degree and was caught with over €100,000 in his car.
A man suspected of abducting his three‑year‑old daughter was detained by Portugal’s Polícia Judiciária (PJ) in Matosinhos, near Porto. The case is under investigation.
A 42-year-old man sought refuge with his daughter in a mountain shelter in the Montalegre area, but was apprehended in Matosinhos.
The suspect is a former banker and holds a law degree.
The streaming platform will roll out new features aimed at ensuring a safer experience for children and teenagers using the app. The updates include the option to limit youngsters' access to Shorts (short videos) or to create child accounts that are directly linked to parents' accounts.
The national director of the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) and the Minister of Justice warned, during the presentation of the PJ's new campaign “Hate 'online' kills 'offline'”, about the danger of radicalisation and 'online' hate content. The comments were made in connection with the conference “Preventing the Online Radicalisation of Children and Young People”, which is taking place today at the PJ building, ...
The victims are two boys aged seven and eleven. Portugal's Judiciary Police (PJ) says there may be additional victims.
A mother writes to Eduardo Sá describing how her son is getting hurt and is now afraid to go to school. The educator repeatedly downplays the incidents, dismissing them as minor 'disagreements'.
The Leiria Judicial Court will begin, on the 23rd, the trial of a teacher accused of two counts of mistreatment of pupils, in apparent concurrence with two counts of aggravated bodily harm.
The mother filed a complaint and the Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating. “It's serious negligence,” she says. An employee has already been suspended.
Elon Musk's social network transforms clothed photos into bikini images.
