Portugal’s Supreme Court has rejected a habeas corpus application lodged by the lawyer of João Lopes, a former police officer expelled from the National Republican Guard (GNR), who is currently serving a prison sentence for assaulting immigrants in Odemira, Alentejo.
In a ruling, the Supreme Justice Tribunal (STJ) stated that “the applicant is imprisoned in execution of a duly determined sentence, imposed by a competent authority, based on acts punishable by law with imprisonment, and the custodial period has not been exceeded”. As such, the court concluded that “there are no grounds whatsoever to justify his release”.
João Lopes recently began serving his sentence after years of appeals. The case dates back to 2019, and involves several members of the GNR. The victims were immigrants whose home was raided and who were subjected to repeated beatings. The assault was filmed and later used as evidence during the trial.
The investigation was launched by the Judiciary Police (PJ) following a complaint by a GNR officer. Detectives subsequently uncovered footage of other previous assaults. João Lopes ultimately saw his sentence revised to six years and nine months’ imprisonment.
According to a recent report in the newspaper Diário de Notícias (DN), between 2014 and 2023, “74 officers were convicted of serious crimes; of these, 43 remain in active service, 29 were dismissed, and two transferred to the reserve or retired”.
In total, the GNR disclosed that over the past decade “377 officers have been convicted of crimes in general, of whom 271 remain in service”, with disciplinary measures ranging from aggravated suspension and suspension, to aggravated written reprimands and written reprimands.
Source: DN
