Évora appeal court judges have ruled that a man sentenced to just over two years in jail for grabbing his partner by the throat during a drunken rage should walk free.
The decision – interpreted by the media as “grabbing a woman by the throat is not domestic violence” – stated that the facts of the case did not configure the crime of domestic violence.
“It is not from the mere fact that the defendant consumed alcoholic drinks, or behaved incorrectly towards the plaintiff (for example, taking money from her wallet), or, on one occasion, after insulting her, having grabbed her by the throat, or on being refused sex, that the defendant thought and verbalised that she had lovers (…) that we can conclude the existence of mistreatment of the victim, in the sense typified by the preconception of domestic violence”, the judges ruled.
So far, there has been no reaction reported from victim-support groups.
The appeal court judges’ decision means the defendant’s original two year two month sentence has now been suspended, writes Correio da Manhã.
