Lisbon Court of Appeal
The judges cited the lack of antecedents and the career impact as reasons to suspend the penalty, contrary to the opinion of a third magistrate.
The Lisbon Court of Appeal released Luis Vallejofamily doctor convicted of sexual abuse to two patients at the Health Center of Algueirão-Mem Martins.
The decision was taken by two judges, Paula Bizarro and Marisa Arnêdo, against the vote of a third magistrate, Eduardo de Sousa Paiva, who defended the maintenance of the clinician’s preventive arrest. Vallejo, 62, had the reduced sentence From six to four and a half years, with conditional suspension, and left in freedom on 16 January.
The case caused indignation since the detention of the doctor in 2023. Vallejo, which attended about 2300 patients, was considered polite and dedicated. However, he was convicted of crimes committed against two women: a 23 -year -old Virgin, and a 28 -year -old married woman. Both faced health problems and depressionwhich may have led the doctor to underestimate them as complainants.
The violations occurred in the Marquise of the office. In one case, the young woman recorded a conversation in which Vallejo asked to keep secret and asked for forgiveness, crucial proof for the conviction. The court of first instance highlighted the severity of the acts, committed in a clinical environment, and applied a sentence of six years in prison and compensation of 30 thousand euros for each victim, says.
However, the relationship considered that factors such as the absence of criminal record, the doctor’s advanced age and the impact on his career justified the Penalty Suspension. The compensation has been reduced to 20,000 euros per victim, and Vallejo is expected to attend a rehabilitation program for sexual aggressors.
The decision generated strong disagreement within the collective of judges itself. Eduardo de Sousa Paiva highlighted the gravity and recurrence of crimesstating that the suspension of the penalty compromises the confidence of society in justice.
