The accident occurred on the afternoon of September 22, 2014, around 2:00pm, at a school in Póvoa de Lanhoso, when, after a break between classes, the 10-year-old girl was heading to class with her classmates.

It was stated that the minor tripped over a piece iron that was anchored to the floor and that served as a support for one of the doors of the school playground, having fallen with her chest onto a second piece of iron.

The child suffered abdominal trauma with traumatic pancreatitis due to a fracture of the pancreas, and was subsequently hospitalised for over two months.

The court concluded that the State “violated the surveillance duties imposed on the public entity”, having proved that the aforementioned pieces of iron constituted a danger to the safety and integrity of the students of the school where the accident occurred.