According to Judge Ana Lúcia Cruz, the facts that the court added to the sentence “result from statements by the victims” and “no other means of evidence”, being related to problems with the time line and details of alleged aggressions by the defendant, among others.

According to Ana Lúcia Cruz, even without being requested, the judgment may still provide for the award of compensation to victims Layla da Silva and Lauren Caton, heard for future memory after the facts, between May and June 2019, and that never appeared in court.

Donald Fernandes, 36, is accused of 14 crimes, including the kidnapping of Brazilian and British citizens, on different days in May 2019, women he allegedly held captive in a house in Boliqueime (Loulé), raped, assaulted and threatened with death.

The defendant is accused of two crimes of aggravated kidnapping, six of rape, two of aggravated threat, two of offense to physical integrity and two of theft.

The first complaint to be filed was that of Layla, who managed to escape, while Lauren asked for help through a message written on a napkin at a shopping center in Faro where she had gone with Donald.

In detention since 9 January 2020, the accused in court denied all charges, suggesting that both may have conspired to incriminate him.

The reading of the judgment is set for for 7 July at 15:30, at the Court of Faro.