The Ria Formosa island of Culatra has been terrorised by a mentally unstable man who is suspected of at least 17 assaults and thefts. (Please read UPDATE below).
Several victims have complained to the Maritime Police about random attacks by Valter Macário who has a record for sexual crimes.
Complaints have been flooding in, almost daily through the summer season, from tourists and locals on the island.
Macário has been detained several times by the Maritime Police, since early July, for his involvement in at least 17 cases of assault, damage, thefts and possession of a prohibited weapon.
The 31-year-old man has been hospitalised four times for psychiatric treatment but was discharged almost immediately each time.
The mentally ill man has been arrested several times but always released by the court.
Residents and tourists are living in state of fear and fear that things will escalate with fatal results unless something is done – and quickly.
The odyssey of terror began at Farol on July 9, when Macário attempted to assault several people. He was arrested by the Maritime Police and admitted for psychiatric tests but was discharged two days later.
Over the next few days, several complaints were made about assaults, threats and damage.
On July 19, Macário again was arrested and sent for psychiatric evaluation and again was released. During the next few days, he again started to behave violently and was taken back to hospital but was discharged immediately.
In August, he was arrested for possession of prohibited weapons. He was sent for psychiatric tests and, once again, was discharged.
Macário was up before the judge on the weapons charge and released. Two further complaints were made for theft of goods and Maritime Police officers were called to several incidents where it was claimed Macário has threatened and attacked people.
During one of these attacks, in the Culatra village of Hangars, the victim had a knife held to her throat.
Until this man is locked up or a treatment found to stop his activities, tourists are warned to stay away from Culatra but to spend time on the sun-kissed beaches of nearby Armona island, instead.
UPDATE 7 Septemeber, 2018
David Thomas, from Safe Communities Algarve, provided the following news:
On 28th August the Criminal Investigation Unit in Tavira detained a 36-year-old Portuguese national, suspected of carrying out these crimes.
The arrest followed an investigation carried out by the GNR and DIAP in Faro, into a series of violent robberies involving threats, assault and threats with a weapon.
This individual arrested has a history of this type of crime (having previously served in prison). During the operation he resisted arrest and slightly injured the arresting officers.
The following day a second person aged 28 years was arrested following the execution of a search warrant with the support of the PSP of Tavira. Various suspected stolen items were also seized.
The arrests are in connection with a series of robberies that have taken place since the middle of June this year mainly targeting foreign nationals in Conceicão and Cabanas de Tavira usually while returning from an evening out.
On 30th August the detainees appeared in court, and the 36-year-old has been placed in pre-trial detention and the other reporting regularly to police.
Valter Macário
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