The delays in the trial of Vilamoura businessman Filipe Silva – accused of kidnapping his seven-year daughter Ellie for seven months almost four years ago – have come from the sublime to the ridiculous.
The latest hiccup centres on the no-show of two psychiatrists – one of whom played an integral part in an extremely one-sided television report screened just as the child was due to be returned to the custody of her mother (click here).
According to Correio da Manhã, the judge has been so “irritated” that he is now threatening to have the psychologists arrested.
The duo have a new ‘date’ to adhere to, and if they fail once again to comply, the judge warns warrants for their detention will be issued.
The case was due to pronounce weeks ago (click here), after endless earlier delays but Silva’s lawyer produced the psychologists as witnesses at the 11th hour, and thus their testimonies were due to be heard last week via video link.
Their new ‘court date’ is Thursday July 7 at 9.30am, says CM.
As the Resident has previously explained, Ellie, now 11, lives with her mother Candice, siblings Olivia, Henry and Charles and step-father Philip in Ireland.
The family has no intention of coming to Portugal anytime soon.
Explained Candice: “Filipe Silva has been making a fool out of the Faro courts and the Portuguese legal system in general since 2012. Yet for reasons unclear, they continue to give him VIP treatment at every opportunity, to the point that the trial has simply become a farce”.
“We have seen many examples of corruption in this case already and just thank our lucky stars that Ellie is no longer under the jurisdiction of the Faro Court system.”
CM stresses that Silva has had no contact with his daughter since parting company with her in the company of TV reporters and cameramen at Funchal airport in 2014.
Candice adds that this also means she has received no form of child support.
“I doubt Silva will even be punished for what he put us through”, she told us.
Photo: The jubilant “Ellie is on her way home!” photo released by the family two years ago, when the child and her step-father left Madeira “in the nick of time”
