The suspect, who is indicted for attempted aggravated homicide, discrimination, incitement to hatred and violence, and robbery, appeared for his first judicial interrogation on Thursday and was subjected to the most severe precautionary measure.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Judiciary Police (PJ) explained that the investigation occurred in two distinct but successive moments in public areas of Porto.
The first incident took place in the Campo 24 de Agosto area, where “after randomly approaching some foreign citizens with racist insults, the defendant, armed with a bladed weapon, violently attacked the victims and seized some of their belongings.”
According to the PJ, one of the men ended up being seriously injured in the chest and is hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of Hospital de São João.
Fifteen minutes later, in the São Roque da Lameira area, the defendant “approached another foreign citizen, again uttering racist insults, and attacked him with a knife.”
“After these actions, and in order to avoid identification and arrest, the suspect altered his physical appearance and routines,” the PJ emphasized.
The PJ noted that the suspect’s location and arrest occurred “less than 48 hours after the crimes.”
In recent months, Porto’s downtown area has been the scene of various disturbances and hate crimes, which, according to a PSP source heard today by Lusa, led to “reinforced” police surveillance in areas considered more critical.
In May, a group of six men armed with sticks and knives invaded a house where about a dozen immigrants lived in the Bonfim area. Hours later, two other allegedly racist attacks on Moroccan citizens were reported in the city center, with one of the aggressors being arrested and placed in preventive detention.
Regarding this episode, the Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, stated on Thursday that extreme right-wing and extreme left-wing forces contribute to an environment of hatred and violence in the city.
