Lorry driver Afonso Dias has been convicted of kidnapping Rui Pedro (pictured), a boy who went missing from Lousada, northern Portugal, in 1998, and sentenced to three years and six months in prison.
Afonso Dias was formally accused of kidnapping 11-year-old Rui Pedro by his parents in February 2012.
However, after the defendant was absolved of the crime by the Lousada Court due to lack of evidence, the parents, through their lawyer Ricardo Sá Fernandes and the Public Prosecutor, appealed to the Tribunal de Relação do Porto (Court of Appeal), which on Monday sentenced him to jail.
Afonso Dias’ lawyer, Paulo Gomes, has already confirmed that his client will be making an appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice.
Rui Pedro was last seen on March 4 1998 in the company of Afonso Dias, who was 21 years old at the time.
