Another horrific case of family violence has left one woman dead and her six-year-old son fighting for his life at Porto’s São João Hospital. They are believed to have been shot by 54-year-old António Reis, the woman’s partner and father of the child. He was arrested hours after the crime by PSP police and is now being held in custody.
The shooting happened at around 9pm on Thursday night (July 23), when Marinha Santos, 42, and her son were getting out of her car in the neighbourhood of Saibreiras in Ermesinde, a town near Porto.
The woman was shot in the neck and her son in the head. They were rushed to the hospital, where Santos died half-an-hour later. Her son is reported to be “fighting for his life”.
Neighbours have said that António Reis and Marinha Santos had been in a relationship for “several years” but did not live together.
It was when Reis started demanding to live with her and their son that the death threats started.
“If you don’t want to live with me, I’ll kill you,” was one of the threats neighbours say they heard, according to Jornal de Notícias.
JN reports the woman had already warned Ermeside PSP police about the threats.
Their child’s custody is also reported to have been an issue, even though Reis was apparently allowed to see his son whenever he wanted. Locals say the man was seen often with his son in a local café.
Article courtesy of the Portugal Resident http://portugalresident.com/
