Funeral agency owner ordered to pay fine for using deceased person's identity

A court in Castelo Branco has ordered the funeral agency Funeralbi and its managing partner, António Roque, to pay a total of approximately 36,770 euros following an attempt to evade a traffic fine using the identity of a deceased individual.

The incident occurred after a funeral van was caught speeding in Santarém. To avoid the penalty, Roque used the personal details of Rodrigo Oliveira, a 19-year-old who had died in a road accident just weeks prior. The agency had obtained the deceased's information from his parents while organizing his funeral services.

The deception was discovered when the young man's parents received a speeding notification from the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) addressed to their late son. The court rejected the owner's claims that the misuse of data was not deliberate, citing inconsistent testimony. The total penalty includes 22,470 euros in fines to the state and 14,000 euros in compensation to the victim's family.