Tragic case of unlawful detention leads to domestic helper’s suicide

The Judiciary Police (PJ) has reported a troubling case involving the alleged unlawful detention and manipulation of a victim, resulting in her tragic death. The investigation has led to the arrest of two suspects who are now facing serious criminal charges.

According to the police investigator spokesman, the incident took place on April 29 in the Areia Preta area. The victim, a non-resident worker, was allegedly held captive and mentally tormented by two suspects.  The suspects are a  36-year-old female, who is a police officer from the Public Security Police and a 34-year-old male.

The investigation revealed that the couple believed the victim, who was their domestic helper, had stolen MOP60,000 from them. They proceeded to confront the victim when she returned home, confiscating her passport and mobile phone to prevent her from leaving.

Under hours of relentless pressure, the victim eventually admitted to the alleged theft. The two defendants, in order to prevent the victim from leaving, kept the victim’s mobile phone and passport.

The couple used a transparent tape to tie up the victim’s hands and interrogated her from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. the next day, demanding she tell them how to solve the issue.

Tragically, the situation took a distressing turn when the victim sought refuge in the bathroom, where she resorted to self-harm by cutting her fingers and eventually, unable to withstand the intense pressure, took her own life by jumping out of the bathroom window. The suspects, instead of immediately notifying the authorities, deliberately concealed the true nature of the incident, claiming the victim’s suicide was related to the alleged theft.

“The two defendants did resort to appropriate means to call the police,” the Chief Investigation Officer of the PJ stated. “Instead, they withheld the victim’s passport, mobile phone, and tied up the victim’s hands to prevent her from escaping. They also interrogated her for an extended time period, pushing her to suicide.”

The police have arrested the two suspects and charged them with a series of serious offenses, including the unlawful detention of the victim and their involvement in her death.

In accordance with Article 238 of the Criminal Procedure Act, authorities strongly urge all individuals to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and unlawfully detaining suspects. Victoria Chan