The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 2nd October 2024
by Mike Evans
A very good day to you all. Yesterday when I was writing this report I saw that the date, the 1st October Marked the International Day of Older Persons, the Portuguese Association for Victim Support presented the APAV Statistics Report called Elderly People Victims of Crime and Violence , referring to the years 2021-2023. The statistical data made available refer to the support processes developed in person, by telephone, email and online by APAV’s 84 proximity services.
During this period, APAV supported a total of 4,793 elderly people who were victims of crime and violence, with a significant increase of 4.8% between 2021 and 2023. During this period, 8,921 types of crime and other forms of violence were recorded, with the most notable crimes being domestic violence (77.5%), threats and coercion (4.1%) and insult and defamation (3.5%). With regard to the victim’s profile, they are generally female (76.7%). In around 53.9% of cases, the perpetrator of the crime is male. In 30.2% of cases, the victim is the father or mother of the perpetrator.
I have used these statistics because within the detail of the report it is distressing to find that the Area of Faro and its municipalities is the third district with the most elderly victims of crime and violence in Portugal (622), representing around 13% of victims, followed by Porto and Lisbon. Safe Communities has worked closely with APAV on a number of initiatives and seminars around the Algarve during the past couple of years and whilst these statistics are from 2021 to 2023 it is concerning that the reasons we started working closely with APAV was due to the increase in domestic violence across the region and we can only hope that the trend does not continue.
APAV considers that “violence against the elderly constitutes a social, justice and public health problem and that its effective combat can contribute to a more inclusive future, where everyone is respected throughout the life cycle, particularly in the context of active and healthy ageing”.
APAV supports elderly people and their families, providing them with legal, psychological and social support; it relies on the collaboration of other public and private institutions, and with neighbours, carers and acquaintances of victims — whose role can be very important, especially in reporting situations of violence. If you want to know more about APAV go to their website here: https://vm.apav.pt/apav_v3/index.php/pt/
It is pleasing to see that this week the Senior Census conducted by the GNR started in the Algarve. More on this story further in the bulletin.
Now a look at some of the other stories that have been prominent throughout the region in the past week.
Accident Involving Three Cars Leaves One Dead on IC1
One person died on Friday, the 27th, and three were injured, one of them seriously, following an accident involving three vehicles on the IC1, between Tunes and São Bartolomeu de Messines, revealed Civil Protection .
A source from the Algarve District Relief Operations Command (CDOS) said that three light vehicles were involved in the accident, two of which collided head-on.
According to Civil Protection, the accident resulted in one fatality, one serious injury and two children with minor injuries.The seriously injured victim was taken to Portimão Hospital and the two lightly injured victims were taken to Faro Hospital. The alert for the accident was given at 2:40 pm and the road was closed to traffic for part of the afternoon.
There were 26 emergency personnel from various emergency forces at the scene, as well as a helicopter that ended up not being used to transport any of the victims.
Maritime Police Arrest Man after Thefts on Faro Beach
Members of the Faro Maritime Police Local Command arrested a 36-year-old man on Wednesday, September 25, after the individual robbed two women on Faro beach, reported the National Maritime Authority ( AMN ).
“Following an alert received through the lifeguard on duty at Faro beach, informing that two women had been robbed, members of the Faro Maritime Police Local Command were immediately called to the scene,” he explains.
After arriving at the scene and carrying out the necessary investigations, the Maritime Police located the suspect, who was intercepted near Faro airport. As a precautionary measure, the stolen goods were seized and later returned to the victims. According to AMN, the suspect was charged and detained at the premises of the local Command of the Maritime Police of Faro and, after contact with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, he was given an identity and residence term, and was notified to appear at the Judicial Court of the District of Faro.
The local command of the Faro Maritime Police took charge of the incident.
Senior Census in Portugal Begins
The Senior Census Operation began yesterday, to identify elderly people living alone or in isolation and in turn help the GNR to reduce the risk of the elderly becoming victims of crimes.
Last year’s census identified more than 44,000 elderly people who live alone and/or isolated, or in vulnerable situations, said the GNR.
In a statement, the National Republican Guard (GNR) explains that the operation will run until November 15th throughout the country and involves patrolling and raising awareness among the elderly to reinforce self-protection and safety precautions, particularly in situations of violence, fraud and theft.
The 2024 Senior Census operation involves around 400 military personnel from the GNR’s Crime Prevention and Community Policing sections, distributed throughout the country, with the collaboration of various local and national partners too. This year, the GNR is extending the operation as it considers it is still essential to alert elderly people to self-protection procedures in situations of violence, scams, con jobs and theft in homes, as well as to prevent behaviour associated with alcohol consumption, combat social isolation, identify informal caregivers and train this population to use the internet.
The interior of the country was where most isolated elderly people or those living alone were identified, with the district of Guarda at the top, with 5477 elderly people identified, followed by Vila Real (5,360), Viseu (3,528), Faro (3,513), Bragança (3,347), Beja (3,230), Évora (2,972) and Portalegre (2,892).
In last year’s edition, the GNR also carried out 304 awareness-raising actions in the classroom and 2,651 “door-to-door” actions, covering a total of 24,978 elderly people.
The Senior Census operation has been running since 2011, updating the geographic location of this population each year.
This operation is part of the “Support 65 – Elderly in Safety” program, from the Ministry of Internal Administration, which aims to guarantee better safety conditions for elderly people.
Two Motorcyclists Injured within One hour in Portimao
Portimão Firefighters were called to assist two people who were injured in motorcycle collisions within an hour.
The first alert was given at 3:47pm, after a motorcycle accident occurred on Cabo Boa Esperança Street. There were 11 operatives from the Portimão Fire Department and the PSP at the scene, where a 65 year old man was injured, but not seriously, and was taken to Barlavento Hospital for treatment.
The second alert was given at 4:26pm, this time for a collision between a car and a motorcycle on Avenida Francisco Florêncio. Eight firefighters, two members of the Red Cross and a PSP patrol went to the scene of the accident, to help. This collision resulted in minor injuries to a man, who was taken to the Barlavento Hospital for treatment.
Well-known Singer’s Son arrested in Faro
Music producer – and son of well-known Portuguese singer Ágata – Marco de Sousa Caneira has been arrested after reports that he was harassing minors in a playground in the Algarve.
Caneira, 43, was arrested yesterday – and as a consequence “it emerged that he had been sentenced to six and half years in jail for raping a 14-year-old in the Azores” – which he has yet to serve.
GNR police called to the scene in Castro Marim have handed the case over to PJ judicial police, while Caneira has already been “sent to Faro prison”, writes SIC Notícias.
SIC explains that Caneira was sentenced for the rape (committed at the end of a popular festival in the Azores) in 2016, by the court of Ponta Delgada. He then appealed – but the Court of Appeal confirmed that the rape had been proven.
Caneira however never served his sentence: a warrant had to be issued for his arrest, which is how police ‘put two and two together’ yesterday, and why Marco de Sousa Caneira is now in jail.
That’s it for this week, until the next time stay safe.