On 26th august Police detained a 27- and 28-year-old couple suspected of exposing or abandoning a child by leaving their 3-year-old daughter alone for 14 hours in a house in the parish of Star in Lisbon.
“PSP police learned that a child was crying on a terrace alone. Unable to contact the residents of the housing, the police entered the property and removed the child, as her safety was in danger, ”explains the Metropolitan Command of Lisbon (Cometlis) of PSP, in a statement released today.
Already in contact with the “visibly frightened” child, the police found that the girl “had no access to food or water and had a red colour on her face,” indicating “she was exposed to solar radiation whilst on the balcony”.
The child was later taken to the Dona Estefânia Hospital in Lisbon, and after being discharged, “was sent to a shelter where she is being looked after,” the statement said.
“It was later possible to locate the suspects, parents of the child, who during detention and faced with the facts, admitted leaving the child alone in the room since the early afternoon of August 23 [Friday], for about 14 hours, ”says Cometlis, adding that the detention took place at 3:40 am on Saturday.
Police source told the Lusa agency today that the couple, of Ukrainian nationality, are not resident in Portugal.
The detainees were present at the Criminal Instance of the Judicial Court of the District of Lisbon, and were applied the measure of coercion of term of identity and residence.
The process is now with the prosecutor.