Two police officers from Olhão’s PSP force are facing serious charges after allegedly handcuffing and transporting two Moroccan men to a secluded area, where one of them was reportedly brutally beaten. The victim, 37-year-old Aita Ait Aissa, died in hospital 19 days later from severe head injuries.
The details of the case, which dates back to March 9, 2024, were revealed this week by Sábado magazine, which cites the indictment from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the document, the two officers took the men, both detained after disturbances in Olhão supermarkets, to a rural road near Pechão, far from witnesses.
One of the men, who had fallen asleep, was released from his handcuffs and left by the roadside. Ait Aissa, however, remained handcuffed with his hands behind his back when the officers allegedly struck him repeatedly in the head and face. Unable to defend himself, he suffered a fatal brain haemorrhage. He was kept in intensive care in Faro for nearly three weeks before succumbing to his injuries.
The events began earlier that day, when the two Moroccan nationals, reportedly under the influence of drugs, caused disturbances in a supermarket in Olhão. Later that evening, police were again called to another store, where the men had been seen opening and eating food items. Although the supermarket manager did not file a complaint, the officers pursued, arrested, and handcuffed the pair.
The Public Prosecutor has charged the officers with two counts of aggravated kidnapping and one count of qualified homicide. Both men have been suspended from duty by judicial order while awaiting trial.
PSP police confirmed the suspensions and announced disciplinary proceedings against the officers. In a statement, the force stressed that it repudiates the behaviour described in the indictment and vowed to ensure such cases remain “an exception” within the police ranks.
The trial date has not yet been set.
