The Portuguese couple is facing accusations of human trafficking and assistance to illegal immigration. Márcio Mendes was sentenced to 5 years in prison in Brazil, but the lawsuit against Helder Dias in Portugal was suspended.
The Portuguese Márcio Mendes, 50, and her husband Hélder Dias, 46, face accusations of babies trafficking and assistance to illegal immigration, respectively, for having purchased two newborns in Brazil to adopt.
Márcio Mendes was sentenced to Brazil to five years and two months in prison for human trafficking. Arrested in December 2023, while visiting the second newborn bought, he was isolated from the remaining secludes for security reasons, with the other prisoners to think he was a rich Portuguese who was going to Brazil to buy children. “In prison, he was threatened with death and was only 30 minutes of recreation a day,” said Hélder Dias.
Currently, Márcio Mendes fulfills semi-open regimeliving alone in a rented apartment in Sao Paulo, but can return to prison at any time, reports the.
The defense of Márcio Mendes has already filed an extradition request to the Brazilian authorities so that he can serve the penalty in Portugalbeing the request under analysis.
In Portugal, Hélder Dias was indicted by the prosecutor for two crimes of Assistance to illegal immigrationone consummate and one in the attempted form. However, in January this year, the process was provisionally suspended. Prosecutor Susana Saavedra justified the suspension with the fact that Helder was “extremely sorry, suffered, tearful and depressed”, believing that “the situation will not be repeated.”
The magistrate acknowledged that the conduct of Helder Dias “is objectionable”, but highlighted the “Calvary” that many couples face when trying to adopt legally, especially same -sex couples. “THE long and twisting path It takes many couples to less correct and even illicit practices, ”he admitted.
The case, which included the identification of biological mothers of newborns, doctors and lawyers involved, had Márcio Mendes as Unique condemned not Brazil. The Portuguese and Brazilian authorities continue to cooperate to resolve the couple’s judicial destination.
While waiting for the extradition decision, Helder Dias maintains daily contact with Márcio Mendes, eager to see him back to Portugal. “The goal is to have you close as soon as possible,” concluded lawyer Ana Maria Conceição.
