Portugal child sex charges issued
Portugal child sex charges issued
Portuguese prosecutors have charged 10 people with the sexual abuse of disturbed children in state-run homes.
The former employment minister in the last Socialist government, Paulo Pedroso, and former ambassador to South Africa Jorge Ritto are among them.
Police have spent more than a year investigating allegations that children from the Casa Pia homes in the capital were abused by a paedophile ring.
Mr Pedroso says he is the victim of a smear campaign and denies the charges.
The case has outraged Portugal and shaken public trust in the authorities.
President Jorge Sampaio has described it as a "national disgrace".
The case is regarded as the first test of the country's legal system since it returned to democracy in 1974 following nearly five decades of dictatorship.
...............
Mr Silvino, 46, faces 35 charges of sexually molesting four children over a three-year period. His alleged victims include a boy with mental disabilities, and another who is deaf and mute.
This is the kind of story you see and it rips your heart out. Molesting kids in the care of the state? Of course the Portuguese people are going to flip out. The most vunerable kids, pretty much sold to the rich and everyone is claiming it's a smear. I'm surprised they didn't say the kids wanted money to keep quiet. Just another reminder of how the rich are different than you and me.
posted by Steve @ 2:18:00 AM
