The Ministry of Education said on Friday that it had held a meeting with the management of the Padre Alves Correia Center (CEPAC), at the institution's request, following the alleged assault of a nine-year-old boy at a school in Lisbon. Although the ministry was made aware of new "contours", the agency reiterated that "there is no evidence that a 'lynching' occurred at the Amadora school indicated by the association".

"A team from the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) met today with the management of CEPAC, at the request of this institution. During the meeting, the management of CEPAC reported to MECI its version of a case reported on May 14, presenting details and contours distinct from the information disclosed to a media outlet", the ministry said in a statement sent to newsrooms.

The Ministry also reiterated that, "even with the new information provided by CEPAC, there is no evidence that a 'lynching' occurred at the Amadora school indicated by the association".

However, the department led by Fernando Alexandre stressed that it remains "attentive", while condemning "all cases of violence, whether against foreign or Portuguese children, which obviously must always be reported".

The case is being handled by the competent authorities, according to the same note.

It should be noted that on Thursday, the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) confirmed to Notícias ao Minuto that it had received a "denunciation" related to the case, in which "there is no information regarding the nationality of the victim", and that it only indicates "the nationality of the mother, who is not Nepalese".

The Attorney General's Office (PGR) also clarified that, so far, "the specific age of the perpetrators" of the crime is not known, and that "an educational guardianship inquiry and a criminal inquiry have been opened".

"The educational guardianship inquiry (ITE) is provided for in the Educational Guardianship Law, when facts qualified by law as a crime are involved, committed by minors between the ages of 12 and 16," it explained.

It is recalled that on Tuesday, Rádio Renascença reported that a nine-year-old Nepalese boy was assaulted at a school in Lisbon, an attack that was denounced by the executive director of CEPAC, who considered that "the motivations of the other minors were xenophobic and racist".

The ministry later clarified that the school where "the alleged episode" occurred is unaware of any situation and that the only two Nepalese students at the school are in secondary education.

[News updated at 10:24 pm]

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