Prison Guard Union sues after reports of inmate assault in Faro

The National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (MNP), an organism under the Ombudsman, has released a report detailing severe violence against an inmate at the Faro Prison in November 2023. According to the report, a prisoner was subjected to two days of brutal physical assaults and sexual violence by other inmates. The MNP alleges that prison guards failed to intervene, noting that surveillance footage shows guards contacting the inmate after he already displayed visible head bruises, yet they failed to report the abuse or take action.

The report further claims that guards allowed a cell door to remain open for over 20 minutes, permitting aggressors from other cells to enter. The MNP characterizes this as a “failure to fulfill the duty of assistance.”

In response, Frederico Morais, president of the Prison Guard Union, has accused the MNP of defamation. Morais has denied the allegations of negligence and complicity, stating that the union will file a legal complaint to demand proof of the claims made in the report. He has challenged the existence of the video evidence cited by the MNP and intends to seek criminal responsibility for those who signed the document.