A tragic incident unfolded in the picturesque town of Tomar, Portugal, where a 13-year-old British boy lost his life in a stabbing allegedly carried out by his mother’s ex-partner. The devastating event took place on Tuesday, as per reports from local news outlet Diario de Noticias.
According to authorities, the assailant, identified as the mother’s former partner, fatally stabbed the teenager before barricading himself inside the residence. Subsequently, a gas explosion occurred, injuring two more individuals – the boy’s mother and a member of the National Republican Guard (GNR) – from shrapnel resulting from the blast.
The sequence of events remains under investigation, with uncertainties surrounding whether the suspect perished in the explosion or by other means. A spokesperson from the Santarém Territorial Command informed the Lusa news agency that the GNR responded to a domestic violence alert at the scene, uncovering a tragic scenario of “homicide followed by suicide.”
The Policia Judiciaria force in Portugal has initiated an inquiry to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the tragic deaths. The spokesperson emphasized the severity of the situation, stating that both the young victim and the presumed perpetrator, the mother’s ex-partner, exhibited multiple stab wounds, leading to fatal outcomes despite initial vital signs.
Notably, the suspect, a 43-year-old Portuguese national with a history of past convictions for homicide, had ongoing ties with the British woman, despite their separation several months prior. Their relationship had been marred by previous domestic violence incidents reported in 2022 and 2023.
The British woman, who was the victim’s mother, was found bound and assaulted at the scene and promptly received medical attention at Tomar Hospital. While the tragic incident has left a community in shock, investigations continue to unravel the complexities surrounding the devastating event.