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As reported in the Diario de Noticias, the CDS party will move forward with a “package” of measures against terrorism.

The CDS will present a bill that allows the withdrawal of Portuguese nationality to citizens condemned by terrorism, but only for those who have dual nationality. This decision could reach some of the Portuguese jihadists, should they ever be tried in Portugal. This is one of six measures of the “package” to combat terrorism, which will be announced today (29^th) in parliament, with which centrists intend to counter what they consider “government inaction in the area of ​​security.”

In anticipation of the executive, the centrists are also moving forward with a bill to allow the security forces access to the traffic data of the communications (metadata) of suspected terrorist crimes, espionage, sabotage and transnational organized crime. As the DN has already reported, the government is preparing to approve a proposed law “soon” in Council of Ministers, although the specific date has not been indicated.

This reinforcement of powers of information services, was approved by a two-thirds majority (PSD, PS and CDS) in the previous legislature, but defeated by the Constitutional Court. The  judges considered that metadata amounted to wiretaps and could only be allowed in a criminal (closed to secret) investigation and with the same judicial control.

In order to avoid further unconstitutionality and to subject spies to judicial control such as that of police, the CDS proposes that this access to the metadata should be authorized by a special criminal section, composed of a panel of judges, which would be set up in the Supreme Court of Justice. This will also be the model that the government will suggest.

The Diario de Noticais continues that in all, the “package” against terrorism integrates these two bills (nationality and metadata), two requests / questions to the government and two draft resolutions with recommendations. The questions before the Minister of Internal Affairs: are one on the situation of national critical infrastructure security plans, and another on the relationship between the Navy and the GNR in their maritime external border security systems (Costa Segura and the Integrated Surveillance System, Command and Control – SIVICC).

The recommendations include airport security and police training in the prevention of terrorism. Regarding the first, the CDS gives the government 90 days to say what is done, taking into account, justifies Telmo Correia, “the times the Minister has already said that the respective security plans were being changed, without Know any conclusion “. The second is intended to be extended to “all elements of security forces assigned to policing in the vicinity” who are trained in the area of ​​prevention, detection and combating terrorism. “The police on the ground have to be prepared for this reality. The attacks are avoided by anticipation and this can only be achieved by proximity,” says Telmo Correia.

The deputy recognizes that the loss of nationality “will be the most complicated” to approve with the current left majority, but recalls that “some European countries have already adopted it.

 

The Judiciary Police of Madeira is investigating the violent murder of a 79-year-old woman at her home on the Fonte do Til Road in the Arco da Calheta.

The woman was found on 26^th March with several stab wounds. Her 45-year-old son  had recently returned from London, England, where he was emigrated. The man now lived with his mother.

In the house, the authorities found blood in several rooms, and when they reached the old woman, she no longer had vital signs.

The alert had been given around 3:45 p.m. The investigation proceeds. Until this evening (26th March0, the Judicial Police of Madeira had not yet made any arrests.

Four people stabbed to death in the parish of São Veríssimo, in Barcelos.

The victims are a couple of 80 and 84, a woman of 60 years and another woman aged 37, who was seven months pregnant.

The bodies were found in different places. Three in two separate houses and one on the public road, on the Travessa de São Sebastião.

The suspect for the four murders has confessed to the crimes, said the commander of the detachment of the GNR de Barcelos. “The confessed perpetrator of the crimes has already been identified,” said Adelino Silva, adding that “the killings were stabbed by the attacker in the victims’ neck area.”  Lieutenant-Colonel Vaz Lopes, from the command of the GNR of Braga, advanced informed the Diario de Noticais that the victims had cuts in the neck. They were beheaded.

A gun was later thrown by the person who is aged 62, to the roof of a neighbouring house. The Judiciary Police are at the scene. According to the Correio de Manha, the man was serving a suspended sentence of three years after he was convicted of domestic violence against his ex-wife and ex-mother-in-law.

Around 50 concentrated in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene and the GNR has created a security perimeter.

This is being reported as the highest number of murders in a single incident in recent history.

 

 

A Moroccan defendant, detained in Germany and handed over to the Portuguese authorities, was questioned on 23^rd March by Judge Carlos Alexandre on suspicion of joining and supporting the international terrorist organization Daesh and recruiting and financing terrorism.

The man is being held in custody. “The Public Prosecution Service presented to the judge of the Central Court of Criminal Investigation a person of Moroccan nationality who had been delivered to the Portuguese authorities.

After the interrogation, the judge decided, on the request by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, to apply to the defendant an arrest warrant preventive, “the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement to the media.

According to the Judiciary Police, the Moroccan citizen is 63 years old – Police source says the detainee is called Abdessalam Tazi. The suspect had been imprisoned in Germany for crimes of economic nature since early summer. The Attorney General’s Office says that DCIAP is investigating “the practice of crimes of support to the international terrorist organization (Daesh-ISIS) and recruitment and financing of terrorism.”

The PJ, through the National Counter Terrorism Unit, has developed an investigation since 2015 in which it gathered evidence linking two men of foreign nationality to international terrorism, one of whom has now been detained and will now be questioned by a judge for enforcement Measures.

The Aliens and Borders Service announced Tuesday 21st March that it had inspected nightlife establishments and massage parlors in the district of Aveiro, having identified several foreign women and detained one of them.

After receiving denunciations of illegal immigration, illegal labor and pimping, the SEF carried out a surveillance operation for two nightlife establishments in the municipalities of Águeda and Vagos, with the support of the Inspecção de Finanças (ATA).

During the course of the police action, several foreign women were identified, one of whom was detained for falsification of documents and illegal stay in Portugal and another was notified that she has 20 days to leave the national territory.

Two other women were notified to attend the SEF, to determine the contours of their stay in the country.

The two night establishments were notified by the authorities for the collection and use of illegal foreign labour, whose fines vary between four thousand and 20 thousand euros.

The number of dating violence victims reported by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Science (INMLCF) has increased almost 60 percent in three years between 2014 and 2016, culminating with 767 victims last year.

According to INMLCF statistics on dating violence, which Lusa had access to, 2016 ended with 767 people who were victims of dating violence, an increase of almost 10% compared to 699 in 2015, but an increase of almost 60% when compared with the 484 victims of 2014.

Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the head of the study confirmed that over the last three years there has been an increase in the number of cases reported to the INMLCF in which the victims identify as a dating relationship.

For Cesar Santos, this corresponds not necessarily to a real increase in the number of cases, but rather to a greater awareness of the victims for their rights and the need to present a complaint.

“In domestic violence in general and in dating violence in particular, there is a greater awareness of society about these phenomena for what is abusive behaviour and for [the victim] to assert their rights,” said the person responsible , Coordinator of the Medical-Legal and Forensic Office of the Middle Tagus.

The INMLCF found that, with regard to the profile of the victim, the majority (657) are female, with 14.3% of men, with an increase of 55% between 2014 and 2016, from 424 women in the first Year to 657 in the second.

It should be noted, however, that the number of male victims has increased exponentially, since in 2014 they were 60 and in 2016 110, representing an increase of 83.3%.

Still in relation to the profile of the victim, INMLCF data show that in 34.9% of the cases the person is between 18 and 25 years and in 22.8% between 31 and 39 years.

Regarding the aggressors, there has been an evolution in the last two years, since in 2015 they were mostly ex-boyfriends (52.9%), while in 2016 they were mostly boyfriends (51.8%).

The forms of aggression most frequently reported are varied and range from stab wounds 16, nail 56, hair pull 104, kicks 142, shoving 166, grips 176, or slaps 230, but also punches (258) or throttling (59).

Although the attempt to choke is not the most frequent, the person in charge of the study takes the opportunity to point out that often people do not really realize the consequences and tightening the neck can trigger reflexes that may ultimately cause a cardiac arrest.

“We call attention to the tightening of the neck because its importance is undervalued when it may have, in some situations, an unexpectedly fatal outcome,” warned César Santos.

The INMLCF also analyzes the months, days and hours in which there are more aggressions to conclude that they happen mainly in the months of July (88) and October (86), at the weekends (246), between 15:00 and 16:59 (99) and 9:00 p.m. and 22:59 p.m. (102)

These data will be presented publicly at the seminar “And if the school of dating formed professionals in violence”, which takes place in the auditorium of the rectory of the University of Coimbra, and marks the International Women’s Day.

According to César Santos, this seminar aims to make some contribution in raising awareness of these issues among the youngsters, especially secondary students, as well as university students, giving them the necessary tools to recognize abuse, perceive the consequences on physical and Psychic but also at the legal level.

“Dating is not supposed to be torture, but rather a relationship of respect between two parties,” he concluded, stressing that abusive behaviour can often have tragic endings and lead to the death of the victim.

A major fire at a paper mill in the municipality of Santa Maria da Feira was finally brought under control at midnight on 17^th March after breaking out in the late afternoon. At one stage it was being fought by about 135 firefighters and 45 vehicles, according to the District Relief Operations Command (CDOS) in Aveiro.

The company had four paper and cardboard waste warehouses, with three of them being “totally taken” by the fire, said Jose Carlos Pinto, commander of the Lourosa Voluntary Firefighters, who said last night that the strategy now is to “lower the intensity” of flames. He added that firefighters cannot enter the factory premises because of the high temperatures, he told reporters at the scene.

Some employees were able to retrieve computers and other material on time. The owner of the factory, approached by Lusa, declined to comment.

According to SIC, there had been a danger of fire spreading to houses that were quite close to the burning factory, as well as to another factory that is next door. There are no victims reported.

The National Republican Guard (GNR) Protection of Nature and Environment (SEPNA) and the Protection and Relief Intervention Group (GIPS), will conduct throughout Portugal until May 14, several actions aimed mainly at the school communities, on the problem of forest fires.

These awareness actions aim to raise awareness of the importance of the preventive procedures to be adopted at this time of year, namely on the use of fire, cleaning and removal of weeds and maintenance of fuel management bands, with a view to reducing the number of occurrence and minimization of forest fire risks.

The GNR records for 2016 more than 161 thousand hectares (more 93 thousand than in 2015) were burned, compared to the same period in 2015 (figures in brackets):

• 16,515 occurrences (minus 3 966);
• 7,580 crimes (minus 1,188);
• 21 detainees (minus 53);
• 2 095 misconduct (less 581);
• 578 people identified (minus 324).

It should be noted that the three main causes of fire were:

• 33% due to negligence;
• 36% for unknown causes;
• 20% intentional;
• 10% by re-ignition.

In addition to these awareness actions, in a subsequent phase, enforcement actions will also be carried out with the objective of correcting situations of gross non-compliance with the mandatory maintenance of the fuel management bands.

On 15 March 2017, the Spanish Guardia Civil supported by Europol, arrested in Girona (Spain) a Moroccan national suspected of helping finance the terrorist group Islamic State (IS).

The arrestee, aged 43, was under investigation for participating, along with two of his brothers arrested in July 2016, in a complex financial scheme which involved sending funds to IS fighters in Syria and Iraq through money transfer agencies.

Europol has supported Guardia Civil on-the-spot by deploying two terrorist experts to Girona to crosscheck the data found against Europol’s databases in real-time.

The investigation began in 2016 when investigators detected a network that sent funds to IS fighters. The presence of a family member in Syria motivated the rest of the brothers to raise funds and later send the money to Syria by using a complex network of intermediaries. The criminals sent small amounts of money in an attempt to go unnoticed by the Spanish law enforcement authorities.

A backpack with almost 5,000 euros in cash, lost on the Lisbon subway, was subsequently found in the   subway and returned by police to its rightful owner.

The backpack was found by a 35-year-old citizen who contacted the Public Transport Security Division of the PSP of Lisbon, on Thursday 16^th March according to the PSP Metropolitan Command of Lisbon.

When inspecting the inside of the backpack, the police found, in addition to a mobile phone, 4600 euros in notes.

Following enquiries, they eventually identified and located the owner of the backpack and the money, a foreign citizen, who was a tourist passing through Lisbon, who “was surprised and grateful for the effectiveness of the Portuguese police.”