15-year-old boy suspected of killing mother with chokehold in Algés, Portugal
A 15-year-old boy called police to say he killed his 33-year-old mother with a chokehold in Algés, Portugal, after an argument the previous day. His 4-year-old sister witnessed the events.
The killing
A 15-year-old boy is suspected of killing his 33-year-old mother at the family home on Avenida Ivens in Algés, in the Oeiras municipality. According to information released by the PSP, the teenager told authorities that he had argued with his mother on Wednesday, 12 August. During the night that followed, he applied a "mata-leão" chokehold to his mother, provoking her death by asphyxiation. Emergency services dispatched to the residence confirmed that the woman had been dead since the previous day, with the body found inside the house. Observador refers to the location as Dafundo. The victim was 33 years old, according to both SAPO and SIC Notícias, which identified the address as Avenida Ivens in Algés.
A child witness
A four-year-old girl, the daughter of the victim and the younger sister of the suspect, was inside the house when the killing occurred and witnessed the events, according to Observador. SAPO confirms that the child was in the home at the time and that she is the victim's daughter and the suspect's sibling. No further information has been released about the child's condition or any protective measures taken on her behalf.
The alert and custody
The alert was raised on Thursday, 13 August, at approximately 17:35, when the 15-year-old himself contacted the authorities. He recounted to police officers that he had applied the chokehold to his mother during the previous night, after an argument they had during the day on Wednesday. The PSP responded to the call and arrived at the family home on Avenida Ivens in Algés. The teenager was taken into PSP custody. According to SAPO, he is expected to be transferred to the Polícia Judiciária (PJ).
- Teenager argues with his 33-year-old mother during the day
- Teenager applies a 'mata-leão' chokehold to his mother, killing her by asphyxiation
- Teenager calls police; PSP arrives at the house on Avenida Ivens, Algés
- Teenager held by PSP, to be transferred to the Polícia Judiciária (PJ)
Legal framework
Because the suspect is 15 years old, he falls under Portugal's juvenile justice system. Observador reports that the Lei Tutelar Educativa (Educational Tutelary Law) will be applied to the teenager. No date has been given for when formal proceedings under this law will begin.
