The case led to the opening of an investigation to the father and daughter and the conservatory that registered the marriage, since the law does not allow this type of unions.
Maria da Conceição, 68, married her own father, Manuel Lima, 95, on 18 March, at the Guimarães Civil Registry Office. The union, prohibited by lawit was recently discovered by some of the 12 children of the elderly, who complained in the prosecutor of Guimarães.
According to Maria da Conceição, the decision was motivated by the intention to guarantee financial security after the death of the father. “I accepted to marry my father to stay with his renovation”, He confessed to, ensuring that he was unaware that the union was illegal. The woman also states that the conservatory employee did not prevent marriage, despite having access to birth certificates that proved the kinship.
Manuel Lima himself, a widower for six months, confirmed he was aware of what he was doing, but denies any intimate relationship with his daughter. “It was because of the reform. I have no interest in my daughter for anything else, ”he said. The elderly, who lives from a 1800 euros pension from France, guarantees to be ashamed for the scandal.
The case generated a strong reaction in the family. The union was revealed when one of the sisters sent to the rest a photograph of the marriage. “A father marry a daughter? This is not even in the Third World, ”said José Manuel Lima, one of his sons, who accuses his sister of wanting to appropriate his father’s reform and inheritance. The family requires the annulment of marriage and accountability of the conservatory.
The Portuguese Civil Code prohibits unions between ascendants and descendants, so this marriage is null and can configure CRIME OF BAGpunishable with penalty up to two years in prison or fine up to 240 days.
However, Maria da Conceição and Manuel Lima continue to live together in Celorico de Basto and have tried annul the Union three timesunsuccessfully due to the criminal complaint ongoing. Despite the controversy, the woman keeps the wedding rings and defends himself: “I have nothing with my father. He wears diapers and I shower her.”
The local community also reacted with indignation. Some neighbors criticize the presence of women in masses and report tensions in the parish. The case is still under investigation, involving not only the couple, but also the performance of the conservatory that authorized the ceremony.
