A primary school teacher from Póvoa de Lanhoso, Braga district, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison by the Guimarães Court for sexually abusing 11 students in the classroom, facing charges for 3,734 crimes of child sexual abuse.
The court found about a thousand of the alleged crimes proven. The victims, aged between six and nine, suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and require psychological support, as stated in the court's decision. Ten children were recognized as victims of sexual abuse, and three others of mistreatment.
The criminal activities spanned from March 2018 to April 2024. The court highlighted the credibility and consistency of the victims' testimonies but noted the challenge in determining the exact number of abuse instances.
Not all allegations were proven, including the claim of daily sexual abuse against ten girls as initially charged by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
The teacher, with 24 years of experience, was also convicted for child pornography. During the trial, he confessed to nearly all crimes, attributing them to an "uncontrollable impulse" and expressing deep remorse.
A psychological report indicated a risk of reoffending, with the court noting "future risk of repeating such behaviors".
The Public Prosecutor had sought a sentence between 20 to 25 years, but the court imposed 17 years in prison, along with compensation payments ranging from 1,000 to 35,000 euros to the ten victims, totaling 260,000 euros.
The convicted teacher is banned from teaching or holding any position involving minors.
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