Police have detailed description of man who allegedly raped child on Tuesday
A 12-year-old girl was raped in her home in Tapada de Mercês, Sintra, on Tuesday after being followed into the apartment building by a man she assumed to be a neighbour.
PJ police are now investigating, and have a detailed description of the man, understood to be aged in his 20s-30s, around 1.70 m tall, dark haired, with a ‘stubbly beard’.
According to the child’s account, she left school – only around 500 metres away – to eat lunch at home. She walked the distance alone, and realised as she approached her apartment building that there was someone behind her. Thinking it must have been a resident in the building she “didn’t worry about it”, writes Correio da Manhã. But when she reached her front door, she was pushed inside by the man, who immediately shut the door behind them.
The alleged aggressor is understood to have gone quickly through the apartment to ensure there was no one else at home, before ordering the child to undress.
The child’s story describes how almost all the time through her ordeal her mouth was covered, and when her own younger sister came into the apartment, she didn’t call for help, because “she feared the aggressor would do the same to her sister”.
CM does not explain how the aggressor left the apartment without being seen by the younger sister, (or if the younger sister entered the apartment and then left, without realising anyone else was ‘at home’).
The paper simply explains that when the child’s mother returned home, around 8pm, she realised something was wrong – and “found the wrapper of a condom” (presumably in the child’s room, or wherever the rape had taken place). Shortly after this, the child’s story came out, and the mother called PSP police.
After hearing the account, PSP called in the PJ, which is now looking for the perpetrator.
The child meantime was transported to Fernando Fonseca hospital, and underwent medical exams to prove the crime. Forensic evidence has also been taken from the apartment.
natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
