Rui Pedro Moreira
Rui Pedro Moreira does not deny the abuse. It is the third case of suspected pedophilia involving leaders of André Ventura’s party, who has not yet commented on this case.
Chega’s municipal candidate Rui Pedro Moreiraof having sexually abused two boys, aged 11 and 14, also recorded videos and photographed some of the acts with his personal cell phone.
The horse riding teacher, arrested by the Judiciary Police (PJ) on the 12th, allegedly abused the boys, his students at the Centro Hípico Lebreiro de Azambuja, between April and November this year, according to the report.
The abuse allegedly occurred in different locations: in the riding school’s changing rooms, in the suspect’s own home and even during a race in the north of the country.
The complaint that led to the discovery of the case came about fortuitously. The candidate for Azambuja, aged 22, he lent his cell phone to a colleague, who, when using the device, found videos and images of sexual acts involving children.
The colleague immediately alerted the management of the equestrian center, who reported the case to the GNR. The Guard called the Judiciary Police, who initiated urgent measures and detained the suspect in Alenquer. The PJ confirmed that the facts came to its attention through a young practitioner of the sport.
The case is being investigated by the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Board, which is now looking for determine whether there are more victims, which remains a possibilityas the detainee had already taught at another riding school before joining the Azambuja center.
The management of the Centro Hípico Lebreiro de Azambuja published a statement on social media stating that it removed Rui Pedro Moreira immediately, as soon as it became aware of suspicions of illegal acts.
Rui Pedro Moreira was present in court in Loures and was held in preventive detentionto be carried out at the Lisbon Prison. According to a source close to the investigation, cited by JN, the defendant will not have denied the facts that are imputed to him.
“Way to captivate kids”
The suspect was part of Chega lists in local elections, but was never elected. In 2021, he ran in 15th place for the Municipal Assembly of Azambuja and, in 2025, he was in 6th place on the list for the Parish Assembly of the same location.
Rui Pedro Moreira is the son of one of the members of the equestrian center’s management. People who knew him describe him as a young man “affable” and with “great way to captivate kids”, according to the newspaper O Mirante, also cited by JN.
New case of suspected pedophilia in Chega
Rui Pedro Moreira is the third name in just over a year linked to the Chega structure to be involved in processes involving this type of crime involving children.
One of the previous cases involves Nuno Pardal Ribeiroformer municipal deputy in Lisbon elected by Chega, who will face trial for involving a 15 year old teenager. At the time, Pardal Ribeiro was the party’s national advisor and had been appointed to roles linked to the area of childhood. In the process, the Public Prosecutor’s Office decided, at the end of October, to put him on trial for two crimes, one completed and the other attempted.
When the case became public, the target resigned from his position and Chega announced that it would proceed with the expulsion. André Ventura even said that, if convicted, Pardal Ribeiro.
The other case refers to Arthur Alvesparty candidate for the Chamber of Arruda dos Vinhos in 2021, expelled in October 2024. The former candidate, a teacher at a basic school in Alenquer, was arrested by the Judiciary Police and would later be accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the crime of sexual abuse of a minor, following complaints and elements collected as part of the investigation. He was .
There was also the case of Nuno Pardal Ribeiro’s former brother-in-law, the current Chega deputy Pedro Pessanhain February this year, .
Chega sought to separate itself from the episodes by removing those involved from the party, but Ventura has not yet commented on the latter.
