This concerns the disappearance of the 11-year-old boy Rui Pedro Teixeira Mendonça.
Born in Lousada on January 28, 1987, he has been missing since March 4, 1998, in Lousada, where he lived with his parents. The case became widely publicized in the Portuguese press. The boy was never found. Rui Pedro's parents' lawyer, Ricardo Sá Fernandes, initiated proceedings against the Portuguese State for "very serious failures" in the investigation. {Wiki}.
Investigation
Rui Pedro's tutor called the parents because the child did not attend the 5:00 PM class, and they quickly began to look for him. As Rui Pedro had told his mother that he was planning to meet his friend Afonso, the police questioned him. Afonso Dias was in an altered emotional state while being interrogated and simply replied that he did not know the boy's whereabouts, but that the police "should close the borders."
Afonso Dias was interrogated by the police. Rui Pedro's cousin, João André Mendonça, told the police that he and Rui Pedro had a conversation in which Afonso had invited them to go meet a prostitute. André said that he had not joined Rui Pedro and Afonso that afternoon because his mother would not let him leave the house. Hypotheses of kidnapping, slavery, homicide, and suicide were raised.
Trial
Afonso Dias's trial began in November 2011. Alcina Dias identified him in court.
On October 3, 2014, Afonso Dias was sentenced to three years in prison for the kidnapping of the minor during the afternoon of his disappearance, and not for the disappearance itself. On March 18, 2015, Afonso Dias was taken to prison by his lawyer after an arrest warrant was issued by the police. He served a three-year sentence, which was reduced to two years for good behavior. On March 29, 2017, Afonso Dias was released.
