Dear Editor,
I’m just one of the thousands of people truly horrified by the tragic murder of Rodrigo Lapa.
It is so rare for such a horrific crime like this to happen in the Algarve. But when it does, you can hardly believe it…. It does make you wonder if any other youngsters are going through similar troubles at home but too scared to speak up.
Unfortunately, this case proves that Portugal’s Commission for the Protection of Children and Minors does not have either the resources or the competence to prevent these tragedies from happening.
Rodrigo’s parents have both accused each other of being violent with their child. Yet the Commission left Rodrigo in the care of his mother and a man (stepfather) who, if suspicions are correct, was involved in the murder of the 15-year-old after escaping to Brazil on the same day.
The mother of one of Rodrigo’s friends said in an interview that she often fed Rodrigo who was too afraid of eating at home. Sometimes he didn’t even have money to eat at school. Didn’t anyone think this was seriously bad?
Let’s hope PJ police will be able to get to the bottom of this case and find justice for a boy who left this world way too soon and in such a tragic way.
Justin Cunningham
By email
