Leonor Cipriano prevented from spending Christmas at home - Diaria de Noticias - 9 Nov 2010.A request was made under a new code for prisoners, as she already served a quarter of her sentence [16 years and 8 months], but the request was refused.
The Court of Execution of Penalties of Évora rejected the request filed by Leonor Cipriano, asking for a short period of parole in order to spend Christmas at home, as she had already served a quarter of her sentence of 16 years and eight months. She and her brother were co-criminals convicted of first degree murder and concealing the body of her daughter.
The prisoner wanted to spend Christmas with her mother, who lives in the area of Poço Barreto, in the central area of Silves District. The family of Joana's stepfather (who live in the locality of Mexilhoeira Grande, county of Portimão), including Rúben, aged eight, and Lara, aged six - the two sons of Leonor Cipriano and Leandro Silva, her partner when Joana disappeared), refuses to accept Leonor Cipriano back, even for a short period of home leave.
The refusal of the Court of Execution of Penalties of Évora was confirmed by Leonor Cipriano's lawyer, Marcos Aragão Correia, who complained that his client Leonopr Cipriano was failing to benefit from the introduction of the new Code of Execution of Penalties. He said it might need four months to win parole for his client. He intends to appeal the decision.
Leonor Cipriano was convicted with her brother of the crimes of murder and concealment of the body of her daughter Joana on September 12, 2004 in the village of Figueira, near Portimao. She is being held at Odemira Prison.
Marcos Aragão Correia also denounced 'interception of mail and opening of envelopes' addressed to both Leonor Cipriano and Leandro Silva. Leandro Silva has launched a legal action against the former co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciara, Gonçalo Amaral, on suspicion of assaulting during enquiries into the disappearance of Joana.
Mr Correia said: "The judicial authorities are totally disinterested in Joana Cipriano's case. The goal is to deny her justice. In Portugal, when a child disappears, rather than the police investigating the disappearance properly, the police target the parents as the main suspects, as happened in the case of the British girl Madeleine McCann".
www.dn.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=1706203&seccao=Sul
