PJ police have today (Wednesday) confirmed that a man suspected of the rape of a 61-year-old foreign resident in her home in Tavira has been arrested. The 51-year-old man has already faced jail time for similar crimes.
Police said the suspect is believed to have broken into the woman’s house in the Quinta da Barra urbanisation, a condominium on the outskirts of Tavira, by climbing in through one of the balconies.
The foreign resident is reported to have suffered a horrific ordeal when the criminal broke into her house in the early hours of Friday morning last week. He attacked and raped her before making off with various items in the woman’s VW Polo.
It is believed that the man thought the house was empty, but when he came upon the sleeping woman, a foreigner living in Portugal, he immediately attacked and raped her.
The man then set about taking as much as he could carry, making off in the victim’s car.
The woman, meantime, has been assisted in Faro hospital where various clinical exams were undertaken.
Quinta da Barra is a complex made up of small houses, the majority of which are occupied by foreigners. Some of the properties are only used for holidays.
Incidents of housebreakers resorting to rape are considered “very uncommon” by the authorities.
