Guards say little done to improve security
The Portuguese trade union association for prison guards (ASCCGP) is accusing the Ministry of Justice of “a lack of action” following the escape two months ago of five inmates from Vale de Judeus prison in Alcoentre – all of them considered dangerous.
In a statement today, ASCCGP stresses four of the five are still at large – only Fábio Loureiro was caught a month ago in Morocco – while the announcements of dismissals, appointments, disciplinary procedures and audits have done ‘little’ to improve security conditions in Portugal’s run-down prisons.
“It wasn’t an ‘ingenious’ escape”, the statement refers to the convicts’ use of bedsheets and an extendible ladder. However much authorities like to paint it as a prison break carried out by “an armed, fearless and determined team”, with a detailed plan, it certainly doesn’t look that way.
According to ASCCGP, “nothing tangible has been changed and/or implemented in terms of procedures and security measures” at the prison.
ASCCGP also highlights the recruitment process for 225 new prison guards, which, the leadership argues, will not be finalised “before June 2026” – and another for 45 chiefs, which is “at a standstill at the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) due to administrative issues and legal deadlines”.
“In short, the dysfunctional conditions that led to the event of September 7 remain in place at national level,” says the union: “All of this weakens the state, making pursuit of the prison mission increasingly fragile, causing unnecessary institutional and social concern and fuss.”
The escape from Vale de Judeus led the minister for justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, to order an audit of the security of Portuguese prisons and also led to the dismissal of the then director-general of the DGRSP, Rui Abrunhosa e Gonçalves, who was replaced by Isabel Leitão.
In the meantime, nine disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the former director, the head of the guards and seven prison guards – and there is also an inquiry by the public prosecutor’s office into possible criminal liability.
Meanwhile, Fábio Loureiro, one of the five fugitives, was located and arrested in Tangier (Morocco) on October 7, and has agreed to be extradited to Portugal. Fábio Loureiro was convicted of the offences of kidnapping, drug trafficking, criminal association, armed robbery and evasion.
The rest of the group, ranging in ages from 33 to 61, include another Portuguese citizen Fernando Ribeiro Ferreira, Georgian Shergili Farjiani, Rodolf José Lohrmann from Argentina, and Mark Cameron Roscaleer, from the United Kingdom.
The men were all serving sentences of between seven and 25 years for various serious offences (not including murder, albeit Lohrmann is wanted in his native country for murder).
Source material: LUSA
