In a statement, Cometlis said that the two children lived in “deplorable and unhealthy” conditions in a garage, “walked around badly dressed, did not go to school and witnessed physical and psychological aggression between their parents”.


Following a police investigation, authorities detained the parents (51 and 34-years-old) of the children last week on suspicion of two crimes of domestic violence.


A police source told Lusa agency, the family lived in the parish of Águas Livres, in the municipality of Amadora, district of Lisbon. The same source said that “urgent intervention” was developed by EMAT (Multidisciplinary Technical Support Teams for Courts) as soon as they became aware of the situation.


Amadora’s EMAT includes members of the Public Prosecution Service, PSP and the local Child Protection Committee (CPCJ).


In the meantime, the two children were removed from home and taken into a temporary foster home.


The couple were present at the Amadora Court of Criminal Investigation for the first judicial interrogation and were subjected to a non-custodial coercion measure, depriving them of contact with the victims.