Court acquits accused of defaming Gonçalo Amaral

by carly1979 17.07.12 17:40

Court acquits accused of defaming Gonçalo Amaral
Court acquits accused of defaming Gonçalo Amaral

Published ontem

The criminal court acquitted him of Faro, this Tuesday Aragão Correia, a
lawyer for Leonor Cipriano - mother of missing girl in the Algarve in
2004 - and Professor António Pedro Dores, of defaming former Inspector
of Judicial Police Gonçalo Amaral.

Photo Steven Government / Global Images

Gonçalo Amaral

Aragão Correia and president of the Association Against Exclusion for
Development (ACED), Antonio Pedro Dores, were accused of defaming the
former inspector, who investigated for nearly eight years the
disappearance of Jane, daughter of Leonor Cipriano.

In its judgment, the judge said the conditions were not met to consider
even the possibility of legal order António Pedro Dores, president of
ACED, who spread the "Report on Torture Leonor Cipriano perpetrated by
the Judicial Police," the object of the process raised by Gonçalo
Amaral.

As for Marcos Aragão Correia, cemented his acquittal in the fulfillment
of civic duty to denounce acts of torture that is required every
citizen and, on the other hand, has proven that as the lawyer for Leonor
Cipriano was convinced that Gonçalo Amaral was the same co-author of
the acts of torture against the mother of Joan.

By having knowledge of the acts committed against Leonor Cipriano -
whose existence, as an autonomous object of judgment, the court did not
question - through a conversation with your client, Aragão Correia
became convinced of the veracity of the version heard, which, in the
opinion of the court annulled the severity of their publication.

However, based on the testimony he heard - including that of Leonor
Cipriano - the court failed to establish that Gonçalo Amaral has
witnessed acts of torture or even coordinate the team that practiced.

by tiny 17.07.12 17:55

Thank you carly1979,twas to be expected.

by Guest 17.07.12 18:01

Thanks carly. This paragraph is good news though.

However, based on the testimony he heard - including that of Leonor
Cipriano - the court failed to establish that Gonçalo Amaral has
witnessed acts of torture or even coordinate the team that practiced.

by russiandoll 17.07.12 18:08

need to read more about details of this case......how was there an aquittal if there is no evidence of GA involvement? does not make sense to me.....the acquittal is a statement is it not that the accusations against GA were not defamatory?

by anil39200 17.07.12 18:10

One would imagine the cabals of the darkside are having palpitations at this moment.

by anil39200 17.07.12 18:12

candyfloss wrote:Thanks carly. This paragraph is good news though.

However, based on the testimony he heard - including that of Leonor
Cipriano - the court failed to establish that Gonçalo Amaral has
witnessed acts of torture or even coordinate the team that practiced.

Yes. Good news. The witches wont like that.

by Guest 17.07.12 18:39

Some of the article has been missed because it was on page 2, so here it is with the rest added in bold that carly didn't post ......................

Court acquits accused of defaming Gonçalo Amaral

Published at 17:01

The criminal court acquitted him of Faro, this Tuesday Aragão Correia, a lawyer for Leonor Cipriano - mother of missing girl in the Algarve in 2004 - and Professor António Pedro Dores, of defaming former Inspector of Judicial Police Gonçalo Amaral.

Photo Steven Government / Global Images

Gonçalo Amaral

Aragão Correia and president of the Association Against Exclusion for Development (ACED), Antonio Pedro Dores, were accused of defaming the former inspector, who investigated for nearly eight years the disappearance of Jane, daughter of Leonor Cipriano.

In its judgment, the judge said the conditions were not met to consider even the possibility of legal order António Pedro Dores, president of ACED, who spread the "Report on Torture Leonor Cipriano perpetrated by the Judicial Police," the object of the process raised by Gonçalo Amaral.

As for Marcos Aragão Correia, cemented his acquittal in the fulfillment of civic duty to denounce acts of torture that is required every citizen and, on the other hand, has proven that as the lawyer for Leonor Cipriano was convinced that Gonçalo Amaral was the same co-author of the acts of torture against the mother of Joan.

By having knowledge of the acts committed against Leonor Cipriano - whose existence, as an autonomous object of judgment, the court did not question - through a conversation with your client, Aragão Correia became convinced of the veracity of the version heard, which, in the opinion of the court annulled the severity of their publication.

However, based on the testimony he heard - including that of Leonor Cipriano - the court failed to establish that Gonçalo Amaral has witnessed acts of torture or even coordinate the team that practiced.

On the other hand, claimed that Aragão Correia knew someone publicly attributed those acts could constitute matters "offending the honor and dignity," though it has done so in the belief that Eleanor had told the truth.

In 2009, Gonçalo Amaral was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment suspended for making false allegations in the trial of former agents and inspectors of the PJ, accused of torture to his mother Joan.

The former inspector considered that the report of the ACED was "damaging the honor and consideration personal and professional" and has decided to lodge a complaint for defamation against Aragão Correia and president of the association.

The Public Ministry (MP) asked for the acquittal of both, claiming that no longer makes sense to talk about defamation, since all the evidence pointed to the existence of torture, despite never having tasted exactly your own.

Heard as a witness in closing arguments of the trial, Leonor described the inspectors put a bag over his head, kicked around the body and hit him with a telephone card and a blunt object.

Reportedly, the attacks continued after they have forced to kneel on two glass ashtrays that she said would have been transported by the Gonçalo Amaral.

Leonor and the missing girl's uncle, João Cipriano, were convicted in November 2004 to 20 years and four months and 19 years and two months imprisonment, respectively, for murder and concealment of a corpse.

On appeal, the sentence of Leonor Cipriano was reduced to 16 years and eight months.

http://www.jn.pt/PaginaInicial/Seguranca/Interior.aspx?content_id=2670936&page=-1

by ShuBob 17.07.12 22:25

russiandoll wrote: need to read more about details of this case......how was there an aquittal if there is no evidence of GA involvement? does not make sense to me.....the acquittal is a statement is it not that the accusations against GA were not defamatory?

I think what the court is basically saying is that Aragao believed what his client told him i.e. that Amaral participated in the torture. From the judgment, my reading is that Aragao might himself have backtracked claiming to have made the accusation in good faith but now recognises it may not be so. I doubt he'll claim victory and continue with the accusations but let's see.

by russiandoll 17.07.12 22:55

thanks Shubob..now I have read it in its entirety it makes sense, because the lawyer accepted in good faith the claim of the client, there has been an acquittal.
failing to establish GA's involvement does not sound to me that he has been cleared as MM forum is saying.

by tuom 17.07.12 23:26

russiandoll wrote: thanks Shubob..now I have read it in its entirety it makes sense, because the lawyer accepted in good faith the claim of the client, there has been an acquittal.
failing to establish GA's involvement does not sound to me that he has been cleared as MM forum is saying.

I was trying to phrase that earlier , I would have thought it should have been dismissed ? the OP makes a claim , the judge says there is no evidence so I would have thought it would be dismissed .