PSP responds to allegations of blocking youth's report before Oeiras tragedy

The Portuguese Public Security Police (PSP) has responded to allegations that they prevented a 15-year-old boy from reporting domestic abuse prior to a tragedy in Oeiras. The PSP stated that the teenager visited a station on July 26 to report aggressions by his mother, but clarified he was referring to past events rather than immediate incidents.

According to the PSP, officers attempted to contact the youth via telephone the following morning to provide guidance but were unsuccessful. When contact was eventually made, the officer directed the minor to Casa Maria in Oeiras, a specialized support structure for children and youth. The PSP maintains there was no intention to refuse the report, noting that the family was already being monitored by the Childhood and Youth Nucleus and the Family and Minors Court.

Public criticism has emerged regarding potential failures in the response to the minor's plea for help. Discussions have centered on whether bureaucracy within the PSP, the Public Ministry, and the Commission for the Protection of Children and Youth contributed to the failure to prevent the incident, in which the teenager killed his mother.