Rui Pedro´s case update today

My friends, update about Rui Pedro´s case:

It will be necessary to wait until next June 6 to see whether or not to put on trial the case Rui Pedro, the boy of Lousada who disappeared in early March 1998.

Today, during the instructive debate, the Public Prosecutor defended the charge of kidnapping qualified but recalled the feelings of "frustration and anguish" of those who worked on the case, since there were no clues as to the whereabouts of the child. "I find it hard to see the investigations be closed without conclusions as to the whereabouts of Rui Pedro," he said, stressing that from the outset the priority of the investigations was to find the child.

More affirmative was, however, the lawyer of Rui Pedro´s family, Ricardo Sá Fernandes, arguing that the accused should be brought to trial. Whereas proof of public accusation is "strong and coherent and based on dozens of witnesses, Ricardo put in evidence the statements, days after the disappearance of Rui Pedro.in which those statements, five children claims to have seen on that day the accused with Rui Pedro.

Ricardo Sá Fernandes believes that the statements collected during the investigation "allows to reconstruct the initial moment and obtain virtually perfect photograph of those days." "We know what happened and the country expects to assume the act," concluded the lawyer, addressing to the arguido: a driver friend of the family of Rui Pedro, and was at that at the time with 21.

Expressed a different view the defense attorney, Paul Gomes, arguing that the case be useless to evolve, because the prosecution "based on tenuous evidence" and the most likely outcome would be acquittal. Pointing to "contradictions and discrepancies" in the testimonies of children's schedules, the lawyer questioned why the first team of the Judicial Police and prosecutors have not valued successive statements from children and now, 13 years later, the prosecutor is based in these testimonies to deduct charges.

The indictment was filed on February 11 this year, almost 13 years after the disappearance of the child, then with 11 years. The arguido is charged with kidnapping qualified for having allegedly led the minor for a sexual encounter with prostitutes in the area of Lustosa in Lousada.

The family's lawyerof Rui Pedro,child Lousada disappeared on March 4, 1998, said today in court that in the early days of investigation the case was "carelessness and negligence."

"It is unfortunate the enormous inertia in the case at the key moment," said Ricardo Sá Fernandes. The lawyer spoke today at the Court of Lousada durimg the instructive debate of the process in which a man of 35 years is accused of a crime of abduction of child with at the time with 11 years. The lawyer contended that the 24 hours after the disappearance of the child "were decisive and explain everything that happened." Ricardo Sá Fernandes criticized the fact that the investigation had not heard, the day after the disappearance, a prostitute who claimed to have been with Rui Pedro.

This woman turned out to be only heard, 10 years later, the investigation phase of the case pending in the district of Lousada and today had involved in the instructive debate. The family's lawyer of the missing minor admitted, however, that in the first days after the disappearance, the investigation priority was to find the child. Ricardo Sá Fernandes thanked, on behalf of the family of Rui Pedro, about the investigation for "never giving up." Despite the accusation that it took about 13 years, the family's lawyer concluded that "prosecutor did what he had to do."

At the instructive debate that took place today, the family's lawyer argued that Afonso Dias, accused of kidnapping of a minor with 11 years old, is brought to justice. Ricardo Sá Fernandes held that evidence of the prosecution, based on dozens of witnesses, is "strong and coherent" and therefore justified that the process be brought to trial. The defense lawyer, Paulo Gomes, supported the argument that the indictment "is based on tenuous evidence," considering "useless" as the process evolves to be "more likely to acquittal." The indictment will be announced by Judge Jorge Moreira Santos, on 06 June.

Yet another case of rubbish police work right from the beginning!!

"I find it hard to see the investigations be closed without conclusions as to the whereabouts of Rui Pedro," he said, stressing that from the outset the priority of the investigations was to find the child.

That's a laugh - 13 years on.

I agree jean.