Lisbon court to hear torture and rape charges against two Rato police officers
A trial begins Friday in Lisbon for two PSP officers from the Rato precinct accused of multiple torture, rape and abuse of power offences.
Lisbon's Criminal Investigation Court will open the trial of two Polícia de Segurança Pública officers from the Rato station on Friday at 09:30, following a judge's finding of probable guilt. The younger officer, 22, has been held in pre-trial detention since July 2025 and is charged with 29 crimes, ranging from six counts of torture to a completed rape, multiple abuses of power and weapon offences. His colleague, 26, remains under house arrest and faces seven charges, including two counts of torture.
According to the Ministério Público, the assaults targeted mainly drug-dependent foreigners, petty offenders and homeless people, with some incidents recorded and shared on WhatsApp among other officers. A related investigation, classified as of special complexity, now includes 23 alleged participants, several of whom are already in preventive detention or suspended from duty. The vulnerable status of many victims complicates identification and cooperation, the court noted.
