Setúbal court delivered a heavy judgement on a couple, in their 60s, who not only failed to care for the health of an elderly relative, but actively participated in her demise.
This is such a shocking story, for the lack of humanity shown by the son and daughter-in-law of Maria da Nazareth, who fell in the bathroom and fractured her hip in 2023, and was never taken for any kind of medical attention until the time of her death in the middle of December the following year.
Passing sentences of 22 years jail on Maria Nazareth’s son, António, and 20 years for his wife, Blanca, the female judge referred to the “lack of empathy and coldness” of the two defendants, for whom public prosecutors had requested jail terms of 20 years.
The couple was found guilty of ‘qualified murder’ (similar to first degree murder), which their defence lawyer feels is excessive.
“Nobody could argue that they are innocent,” Pedro Pestana has told journalists. “But this is not a murder.”
The crime that Pestana believes would better fit this case is “aggravated domestic violence, resulting in death”.
He explains the differences: “There was no intention to kill, to shorten the life or accelerate the death of the victim. In the appeal we will discuss the juridical basis of the crime. We do not agree with qualified murder, because the vision of the defence is that what happened was a case of aggravated domestic violence, resulting in death.”
Whatever happens, the two defendants, now both condemned as murderers, have been in preventive custody since the body of their relative was discovered, in the apartment on the third floor of Rua Giestas, in Setúbal, that became her ‘prison’, due to the lack of ability to move freely, and without pain.
Reports today say that when Maria da Nazareth’s body was discovered, it showed signs of severe dehydration/ malnutrition and “serious injuries”.
The court heard that the victim was frequently tied to the bed, the reason being to “control the agitation” that she suffered, as a result of dementia.
According to Correio da Manhã, António and Blanca are Venezuelans. Maria da Nazareth was Portuguese. She emigrated to Venezuela as a young woman, and then returned, to live with her son and daughter-in-law, in Setúbal, in 2018.
Source: Diário de Notícias/ Correio da Manhã/ SIC Notícias
