Coimbra man receives suspended sentence for child abuse

A 41-year-old Coimbra man has received a two-and-a-half year prison sentence, suspended for four years, for sexually-abusing the 11-year-old daughter of one of his neighbours. He has also been stripped of his parental ‘responsibilities’ for six years. Passing sentence the panel of magistrates said: “You have a large sword hanging over you, pressed against your throat. If you do not behave, you could be sent to jail at any moment”. The unnamed man was also ordered to pay his victim, now aged 14, €4,000.