In a truly horrendous week for domestic violence, Portugal’s toll of women killed by violent partners reached four.
The latest victim, just like one of the others (see: https://www.portugalresident.com/terrified-woman-left-by-police-to-be-stabbed-to-death-in-set%C3%BAbal), had appealed in vain for police protection days before she was gunned down by three shots to the head in a street in Lamego.
Sixty-year-old Isabel Figueiredo had visited her local PSP police station to ask for a previous complaint against her former partner to be “reactivated”.
According to a police source, agents simply passed the case to the court for consideration, but the court decided not to act.
“They knew the woman’s ex husband had a number of firearms at home that despite being legal constituted a threat. These cases should be treated with urgency,” the source told reporters.
In all last week’s murders, the perpetrators attempted suicide straight afterwards.
In the case of Isabel Figueiredo’s former partner, the attempt was successful.
With the local population of Lamego now in shock, it is unknown when the two funerals will go ahead.
Elsewhere, the husband of Maria Cremilda Pinheiro, stabbed to death in Setúbal days before, is understood to have tried stabbing himself before being tackled by police. He now remains in preventive custody awaiting trial.
Other murders last week were those of 82-year-old Judite Fernandes whose husband Mário then killed himself, and 43-year-old Adriana Marques, whose former partner also put an end to his life in jail.
By NATASHA DONN natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
