Fernando Belmonte and Mónica Lourenço appeal murder convictions

Fernando Belmonte and Mónica Lourenço have appealed to the Évora Court of Appeal for the third time following their conviction for the April 2023 deaths of a German couple in Baleizão. The defendants, who served as caretakers, were sentenced to 22 years in prison by the Beja court.

Magistrates previously characterized the killings as a “concerted action” motivated by money. However, the defendants, who are currently free, deny all allegations and have suggested that the victims may have entered into a “death pact.” The Évora Court of Appeal has previously sent the case back for reconsideration on two separate occasions.