The beating and conviction of Leonor Cipriano

[Admin]

Joana Cipriano was an eight-year-old Portuguese girl who disappeared from the village of Figueira, near Portimão, in the Algarve, on 12 September 2004.  After the criminal investigation, she was later assumed to have been murdered, though her body was never found.

Whilst being interrogated by police her mother, Leonor Cipriano, was allegedly brutally beaten by several Portuguese police officers under the command of Gonçalo Amaral, the former lead detective and coordinator in the Madeleine McCann case.

Several police officers including Amaral were later charged with offences. Gonçalo Amaral who was not present at the time of the alleged beating but was accused of covering up for his colleagues was sentenced to a year and a half in prison, suspended, for misrepresentation of evidence in the case of aggressions against Leonor Cipriano.  The defendants who were accused of the crime of torture - Paulo Pereira Cristóvão, Leonel Marques and Paulo Marques Bom - were acquitted.
 
The inspector António Cardoso, accused of the crime of forgery of a document, was sentenced to two years and three months, also a suspended penalty.

Here we look at the Cipriano case and what was involved.



Leonor Cipriano after the alleged beating.

[John]

This is quite the norm in places like Spain and Portugual.  I have seen both police and functionarios (Spanish prison officers) partaking in physical violence against detainees.

Amaral was responsible for these police officers and the fact that they thought it was acceptable to beat up this woman on his watch speaks volumes about him.

His collusion in attempting to cover it up and for which he was convicted confirms this.

[faithlilly]

Do you know admin that the provenance of the photograph you have just posted is itself in doubt and a photographic expert called at Amaral's trial described the photographic evidence of injury as bad evidence ?

[debunker]

It is worth remembering that beatings and worse were commonplace in England before the introductionof PACE.

[stephen25000]

This is quite the norm in places like Spain and Portugual.  I have seen both police and functionarios (Spanish prison officers) partaking in physical violence against detainees.

Amaral was responsible for these police officers and the fact that they thought it was acceptable to beat up this woman on his watch speaks volumes about him.

His collusion in attempting to cover it up and for which he was convicted confirms this.

The use of violence by police officers/forces is not unique to any country.

It happens all over the world.

It certainly happens in the UK.

We have the relatively recent case of an innocent bystander, Ian Tomlinson, in London, who died as a result of a beating he took by a so called officer, who already had been charged with violent offenses.

As to Cipriano, don't forget this woman is a convicted child murderer.

She has now been found guilty of perjury as well, thereby having her sentence extended.

Likewise it was also claimed, neither proven/disproven that fellow prisoners beat her up.

Hardly unique to one country either.

There is no need for a touch of Xenophobia to appear in this forum as it did in the UK press....

Remember the phrase 'Sardine Munchers' ?

[gilet]

Goncalo Amaral was convicted on Written Evidence, signed by him.  He can't talk his way out of that one.

Explain further please ?

It was a written statement by Amaral, and presented to The Court.

Saying what ?

Each of the questions you are asking is demonstrating that you really do not know the facts about the Amaral conviction.

He was convicted of the entirely stand-alone crime of "Falsifying Evidence", which I am sure you and all decent people understand is a disgraceful thing for a police officer (of any nationality) to do.  Another officer Antonio Nunes Cardoso was convicted at the same time of document forgery over the same incident relating to Leonor Cipriano.

Goncalo Amaral appealed against the sentence and the appeal was not granted.



Another case I would appreciate some information about if anyone has any (with evidence) is the case where Goncalo Amaral was reported in mid 2009 to be on the point of facing the courts over his alleged direct involvement in the torture of Leandro Cipriano.

"The Public Ministry has accused former Polícia Judiciária inspector Gonçalo Amaral of aggression on Leandro Silva, the partner of Leonor Cipriano, who was condemned over homicide and concealment of the cadaver of her daughter Joana Cipriano, in 2004, in the Algarve.
 
According to documents from the Public Ministry, to which Lusa agency was given access, Gonçalo Amaral stands accused of a crime of torture in co-authorship.
 
The accusation mentions that on the 13th of October 2004, in the PJ building in Portimão, the former inspector grabbed Leandro Silva's neck and punched him twice in the abdomen and slapped him twice in the face, while asking him to indicate where the child (Joana) was."

http://www.publico.pt/sociedade/noticia/mp-acusa-exinspector-da-pj-goncalo-amaral-de-tortura-a-leandro-silva-1389690

[Eleanor]

Maybe she beat herself up?

You should see photographs of her body.  No way did she throw herself down any stairs.

Sorry, can't supply a link.  But I am absolutely certain that someone else can.

[faithlilly]

@ Eleanor

If the provenance of the photographs are in doubt so surely is what they portray ?

[Eleanor]

@ Eleanor

If the provenance of the photographs are in doubt so surely is what they portray ?

I seem to remember that these photographs were ordered by The Prison Governor who was horrified by what had been done to Leonor Cipriano.

[John]

Though Leonor Cipriano confessed to killing her daughter, it was only after nearly 48 hours of continuous interrogation, and she retracted her confession the next day, claiming she had been beaten.   She had extensive bruising after the interrogation, which the police claimed came about when she threw herself down the stairs. 

Since then Gonçalo Amaral and four other Portuguese police officers have been charged with offences.   Amaral was not present at the time of her alleged beating but is accused of covering up for his colleagues, which he strenuously denies.   Leonor Cipriano's former lawyer said that Leonor does not know who beat her up because she had a bag over her head. 

[John]

@ Eleanor

If the provenance of the photographs are in doubt so surely is what they portray ?

I seem to remember that these photographs were ordered by The Prison Governor who was horrified by what had been done to Leonor Cipriano.

Of course he would Eleanor as he wouldn't want his officers to get the blame.

[Eleanor]

@ Eleanor

If the provenance of the photographs are in doubt so surely is what they portray ?

I seem to remember that these photographs were ordered by The Prison Governor who was horrified by what had been done to Leonor Cipriano.

Of course he would Eleanor as he wouldn't want his officers to get the blame.

The Governor is a She, actually.  And two Courts have agreed that Leonor Cipriano was beaten while in Police Custody.
Amaral himself, testified to the fact that Leonor threw herself down the stairs, therefor admitting that her injuries were sustained at The Police Station.   Why say that she threw herself down the stairs if she didn't sustain these horrendous injuries until after she was taken back to the prison?

Amaral's statement resulted in him getting a Conviction and Sentence for Lying Under Oath.
How much more Evidence does anyone need?

[Luz]

Apparently Amaral appealed his conviction in 2011 and lost


http://www.dn.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=1882361

All the PJ officers previously accused by the murderess Leonor Cipriano were immediately considered innocent in her Court Sentence session.

[debunker]

Apparently Amaral appealed his conviction in 2011 and lost


http://www.dn.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=1882361

All the PJ officers previously accused by the murderess Leonor Cipriano were immediately considered innocent in her Court Sentence session.

I do not think so.

Cite please.

[Luz]

It's an open document in FARO Court of Law, go there and look for yourself - I did.