Casefile True Crime - Case 132: Rui Pedro Teixeira Mendonça

Episode Date: November 30, 2019

On March 4 1998, the parents of Rui Pedro Teixeira Mendonça grew concerned when their son failed to show up for a lesson with his tutor. The 11-year-old had last been seen riding his bike near their family home in Lousada, Portugal. P --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Episode researched, written, and edited by Milly Raso, Erin Munro, and Elsha McGill Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-132-rui-pedro-teixeira-mendonca

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Today's episode deals with a crime committed against a child. It won't be suitable for all listeners. The Teixeira Mendonça family lived in the northern Portuguese town of Lozada, 40 kilometres east from the country's striking and sun-baked coastline. Situated in the economically developed Porto district, Lozada is known for hosting championship motor racing events on a circuit just outside of town. It features remnants of

its rich ancient history, with heritage monuments and sites including churches, manors, and courts dating back to the Middle Ages. Lozada maintains its strong agricultural tradition, with sprawling rural farm and bushland intersected by winding highways that lead to inland municipalities. intersected by winding highways that lead to inland municipalities. The Teixeira Mendonca family, helmed by Patriarch Manuel and his wife Filomena, were well known and regarded within the local community. By the late 90s, the couple had two children, an 8-year-old daughter named Karina and a son, 11- old Uy Pedro. Born on January 28 1987, Uy Pedro was an affectionate and happy child who was the life of the party. A devoted animal lover, he accumulated

a menagerie at home, adopting so many canaries that he was forced to give some to his grandparents. many canaries that he was forced to give some to his grandparents. He once brought a squirrel home and made a treehouse for it, though was left devastated when it escaped the next day. When he wasn't caring for animals, Boy Pedro loved riding his bicycle, skateboarding, and helping with handiwork and electrical projects at home. A keen soccer player, he dreamed of playing professionally when he grew up. His life was full of jokes and laughter, with Philomena describing her son's laugh as contagious. She admired his imagination, a quality she observed during his long bubble baths and when he attempted to use a fork as a makeshift television antenna.

Filomena worked at her father's driving school directly opposite the family home, making it convenient for her children to stop by if they needed to speak with her during office hours. On Wednesday March 4 1998, shortly after 2pm, Filomena was busy working when Rui Pedro arrived. He'd just finished lunch and had cycled over seeking permission to spend the rest of the afternoon taking a car ride with his friend, Afonso Dias. Dias was a 22-year-old truck driver who had become close with Filomena's family after obtaining his driver's licence from her school three years earlier. His own family was burdened by financial struggles, which elicited a great deal of sympathy from Filomena. She provided Deix with clothes and

let him assist at the driving school for extra money. Deyesh soon befriended Filomena's children and she trusted him to drive Juipedru and Karina to school most days. Juipedru was particularly enthusiastic about his new friend, who seemed cool and exciting to the 11-year-old by virtue of being older. Despite their significant age difference, Deish was regarded as childish and immature, which made him relatable to Huy Pedro. According to Deish, the two were like brothers. Yet, not everyone in the Teixeira-Mendonza household approved of their friendship. Huy Pedro's father Manuel and his maternal grandfather Jose were troubled by the 11-year age gap between the two, as well as Dias' habit of smoking cigarettes in Huy Pedro's company.

Manuel expressed his concerns to his wife on multiple occasions, and although Filomena regarded Dias as harmless, she respected her husband's grievances and started limiting the time Juipedru and Diez spent alone together. Therefore, she denied her son's request to go driving with Diez that afternoon. Juipedru was unhappy about his mother's decision but ultimately accepted it. Filomena reminded him that he had a tutoring lesson at 5pm and suggested he play in the vacant field behind her office in the meantime. The large space was framed by dry grass, trees and shrubs and contained a circular dirt track occasionally used for horse racing. Although the field was surrounded by main roads, cars didn't usually

access the area, making it a popular place for children to play. Fui Pedro did as his mother told, waving goodbye as he happily pedalled off on his bike towards the field. The End Nearly four hours later, as 6pm approached, Philomena and Manuel received a phone call from Rui Pedro's tutor, informing them that he had not turned up for his 5 o'clock lesson. This came as a surprise, as he had never missed a tutoring session before. The 11-year-old suffered from epilepsy that required daily medication and fears soon grew that he may have suffered an attack. If untreated, a seizure could cause severe brain damage or worse. A search party was quickly formed and local residents were asked if they had seen the boy. A neighbour revealed that at around 3pm they had found Rui Pedro's bicycle amongst the bushes

in the vacant field behind Filomena's office. His family contacted the National Public Guard, Portugal's military police who were responsible for civil law enforcement, and a wide-scale search was initiated. The police combed the streets of Lozada with assistance from local firemen, residents, and specially trained police dogs, but failed to uncover any other sign of the young boy. Three local boys came forward to report that as they were playing football together in the vacant field earlier in the afternoon, Huy Pedro arrived on his bike and joined them. At around 3pm, a black vehicle drove onto the racetrack and pulled up alongside Huy Pedro, who chatted with the male driver

before gesturing to his friends that he wouldn't be playing with them. He climbed into the car, leaving his bicycle behind. The children identified the driver as 22-year-old Alfonso Dias, who they said had been fixated on Jui Pedro over the past couple of weeks, constantly asking where he was, who he was with, and what his upcoming plans were. Jui Pedro's younger sister, Karina, also recalled that earlier that year, Dias had taken photographs of her and her brother, something he'd never done before. something he'd never done before. Several other witnesses also reported having seen Rui Pedro speaking to Afonso Dias at the field that afternoon. Dias was cited driving a black

Fiat Uno that belonged to his brother, who confirmed he had loaned the vehicle to Dias so he could take it for its annual roadworthy test, a mandatory practice in Portugal for vehicles over eight years old. However, records revealed Dias didn't attend the scheduled inspection. Police quickly located Dias. Pui Pedro wasn't with him and he claimed not to know where the missing boy was. Dias was taken to the Lozada police station for further questioning, where he denied giving Hui Pedro a ride, claiming he had only seen the boy for five minutes between 1.50 and 1.55pm. After this brief encounter, he drove alone to the nearby city of Pacos de Ferreira, located about 15 minutes

west, where he parked outside a pharmacy. He sat in the car for a while before walking around town, looking at the shop windows. He then drove the short distance to his girlfriend's home in the nearby town of Friamongi, arriving at 6.45pm. There, he received a phone call from his sister informing that Uypedru was missing. Uypedru's distraught grandfather Jose was also at the police station awaiting news. In a desperate bid to locate his grandson, he confronted Diez and offered him anything he wanted to disclose Huy Pedro's whereabouts. Diez began to cry, insisting he didn't know where the 11-year-old was. Then, all of a sudden, he gave police anonymous warning, telling them Huy Pedro could already be

very far away and they should, quote, close the borders. Diez was also accosted by Rui Pedro's young cousin, Joao André, who began telling officers about an encounter the two boys had with Diez the day. Diasch warned him to shut up, but Andre was undeterred, explaining that Diasch had invited them to quote, go to the prostitutes. Diasch allegedly told the young boys to meet him at the field near the driving school the following day, where he would pick them up. When March 4 arrived, Andrei's mother wouldn't let him leave the house, so he missed the meeting. A local firefighter named Maria was one of many who witnessed Juan Pedro get into a black car at the field that afternoon. When she visited the local

police station to provide a report, she ran into Alfonso Dias and recognised him as the car's driver and informed officers of her discovery. This rattled Dias, who confronted Maria at the fire station following their encounter. He was visibly worried and bombarded her with questions pertaining to the ongoing investigation, including whether she knew what his car looked like. Meanwhile, Huy Pedro's disappearance had made local news, with reports describing him as 4 foot 11 inches tall, weighing approximately 45 kilograms, with short brown hair, dark eyes, and suntanned skin. This description was accompanied by a picture of him flashing a smile that revealed his distinctively large front teeth. A local

sex worker named Alsina recognised the boy in the photograph and immediately contacted authorities. According to Alsina, on the afternoon of March 4, she was working along the Strada Nacional 106, a highway leading into the town of Lushtoza, 10 kilometres northwest of Lozada. A man in a black car had pulled up beside her, accompanied by a child she now believed had been Jui Pedro. The man asked if Alsina was working and offered to pay her 2,000 skudus to have sex with the boy, whom he said was 14 years old. The boy got out of the car but was obviously distressed and started to cry. Alsina led him into the woods but didn't initiate any physical contact, instead sympathising with him and spending the next 15 minutes trying to calm him down.

The boy said the man was his uncle who was forcing him to visit sex workers against his will. Alsina asked if his mother knew, to which the boy replied no. He continued to sob and Alsina asked if his mother knew, to which the boy replied no. He continued to sob and Alsina gave him a hug, promising he would be okay. She walked the child back to the car and watched as it drove away, under the impression that the driver was heading to a brothel 500 metres away. a brothel 500 metres away. Despite multiple witness statements indicating otherwise, the police were not convinced that Juipedru had been abducted. Instead, they treated his disappearance as a search and rescue case, certain he had either collapsed somewhere or wandered off too far and gotten lost. Though the Teixeira

Mendonça family begged authorities to act with urgency, the district court was unable to intervene unless it was confirmed that an abduction had taken place. Roughly 24 hours after Huipedru's disappearance, several agents of the judicialicial Police finally arrived in Lozada to assist in the ongoing search. As the National Criminal Police Agency, the Judicial Police were responsible for investigating serious crimes such as homicides, kidnappings, organised crime, and terrorism. Over the following days, the local neighbourhoods, wells, rivers, and outlying scrublands were searched repeatedly. Missing person posters featuring a photograph of a smiling Rui Pedro wearing a light grey t-shirt were distributed and the case soon gained national

media attention. The young boy's disappearance sparked an overwhelming sense of communal grief, with many Portuguese news articles referring to the missing child as our boy, or our little Huipedru. The intense media coverage prompted an onslaught of calls to the Teixeira Mendonca family. People claimed to have Huy Pedro in their possession, with some callers demanding a ransom for his safe return. One male caller claimed to be the boy's kidnapper and demanded that Filomena undress in front of her window in order to get her son back. A clairvoyant informed the family about a vision they'd received of Juipedru's head in a river. Filomena received the most horrifying call, in which a child repeatedly yelled Mama into the receiver before the phone abruptly disconnected.

She was certain the voice was her son's. connected. She was certain the voice was her son's. Despite a judge ordering that the family's phone calls be placed under surveillance, none were traced. Police refused to investigate them further, saying they hadn't heard the calls themselves and didn't have the means of locating the people responsible for making them. The family suggested possible methods which were dismissed by the police, who explained those strategies were, quote, only in the movies. The police also disregarded the multiple witness accounts that placed Huipedru in the company of Afonso Dias on the afternoon of his disappearance.

Huipedru in the company of Afonso Dias on the afternoon of his disappearance. Dias maintained his version of events and promptly moved away from Lozada, with nothing else done to pursue him further as a suspect. Although Filomena had limited the time Dias spent with her son, neighbours had since informed her that the two had been meeting in secret. Prior to Rui Pedro's disappearance, Filomena had also noticed a shift in Dias's demeanour. He was reserved, which at the time she had attributed to the fact he was maturing and had recently gotten a girlfriend. Now, she suspected he had been planning to harm her son for a while and was withholding important information from investigators. The Teixeira Mendonca family

visited all the key locations to search for clues, but found no trace of Ruy Pedro, and a month passed with no further developments in the case. a month passed with no further developments in the case. In April 1998, Portuguese journalist Nuno Rogero travelled to Disneyland in Paris with his wife and children to write an article about the famous theme park for Portuguese women's magazine, Caras. The article was published along with several photographs documenting the Rogero's trip, including one taken by a camera positioned on a ride called Pinocchio's Daring Journey. In the photo, Nunu's wife, young son, and daughter are seated together in the front row of the ride's carriage, while Nunu is seated alone in the middle

row holding a camcorder. Behind him, in the third and final row, a little boy was seated next to an older man. The boy, whose face was turned slightly to the left, had tanned skin, brown hair, and was dressed in a dark zip-up jacket. He was sitting next to a Caucasian man who appeared to be aged in his forties with balding dark hair and was wearing a red hooded jacket. An observant Cardiff's reader noticed the boy looked remarkably like Huy Pedro. Upon seeing the image for themselves, Filomena and Manuel were certain it was their son. The Portuguese police confiscated the photograph for further analysis and sought CCTV footage taken during the ride, but Euro Disney's video security system hadn't

been functioning on the day the photo was taken and no footage existed. The balding man was largely obscured by Nunu and his camcorder, making him difficult to identify. There were conflicting reports as to whether he was identified, with some local sources claiming he was a bar owner or security guard from Portugal's Porto district, of which Lozada was situated, but the lead didn't progress any further. For the many Portuguese people who believed the boy in the photo was indeed Rui Pedro, the picture supported the theory that he had been abducted and was still alive. Speculation arose that Afonso Dias had sold Juipedru to traffickers who quickly ferried him abroad, a hypothesis seemingly bolstered

by Dias warning police to close the borders. Members of the Teixeira-Mendonza family set out overseas, spending all of their money travelling to various locations in search of Rui Pedro, but came no closer to finding him. Filomena Teixeira later said, It's hard to remember that moment I saw the photograph and everything I felt. I don't know who to blame, but neither the picture nor the other clues or steps taken in Paris came to anything. The same month the Euro Disney photo was published, 1300 kilometres northeast of Lousada in the city of London, the British National Crime Squad initiated a large scale covert inquiry called Operation Cathedral. The inquiry aimed to track down the elusive

members of an online pedophile ring known as the Wonderland Club, who had distributed more than 750,000 illicit images of children. This investigation, covered in episode 115 of Casefile, led to the arrest of 29-year-old Kent-based computer technician and volunteer youth leader, Gavin Seegers. Amongst his large collection of child exploitation material were images showing the abuse of a young boy, labelled with the name Billy. Following the completion of Operation Cathedral in September 1998, the British National Crime Squad sanitised many of the images and compiled a database of victims' faces for investigative agencies worldwide to use in their efforts to identify, locate and save the

children featured. In 2000, international authorities believed the boy referred to as Billy in Wonderland's collection bore a striking resemblance to missing Portuguese boy, Rui Pedro. They contacted Filomena Teixeira and requested that she view the images herself to see if a positive identification could be made. As the images could only be viewed in Geneva, Switzerland, a date was scheduled for Filomena and Manuel to visit in 2001. They were briefed about what to expect prior to their arrival, including details of the level of abuse featured in the content. Upon seeing the images of Billy, Philomena confirmed it was indeed Huy Pedro.

Although the content was distressing, it increased the couple's hope that their son was still alive. it increased the couple's hope that their son was still alive. As media reported on the positive identification, authorities feared it would spur Jorge Pedro's abductors to murder him out of panic. Gavin Seegers and his cohort, fellow Wonderland member Ian Baldock, were interrogated by Interpol, but both denied knowing who sent them the photos. The poor quality of the images made it difficult for authorities to pinpoint when or where they were taken and their origin was not able to be determined. Puy Pedro was one of only a few children who were positively identified in the images shared within the Wonderland Club.

identified in the images shared within the Wonderland Club. The other known victims included six children from the United Kingdom, seven from the United States, one from Chile, and another from Argentina. The investigation into Huipedru's disappearance slowed due to a lack of credible leads, but the case held the public's interest to such a degree that numerous sightings continued to be reported years after his abduction, none of which were definitively confirmed. At one stage, a Portuguese man named José de Matos was approaching his release from prison for swindling when he announced that he knew the whereabouts of the missing child. He told authorities Juipedru was taken to the city of Visiu on the night of his disappearance, 165 kilometres southeast of Lozada, and was later kept by the owner of a grocery store in England.

His story was convincing and de Martus promised to retrieve the child upon his release. As he was due to be paroled at the time, authorities were certain it wasn't just a ploy for the inmate to escape prison. Sparing no expense, the Teixeira Mendonca family provided the Matush with an unlimited credit card, cell phone, and a Volvo S80 vehicle to facilitate the journey to bring Rui Pedro home. The Matush kept in touch with the family, first heading to Spain, before continuing onwards to England, where he phoned Rui Pedro's grandfather back in Portugal, stating, England where he phoned Hoi Pedro's grandfather back in Portugal stating,

Hello, I have in front of me the grandson of Mr Teixeira. He is eating an ice cream. The call prompted an emotional response from the desperate family. Yet, as the days passed, there was no further word from de Martus and suspicion grew. Authorities discovered that de Martus hadn't even left Portugal and that his entire story was a scam. He was ultimately convicted of fraud and served seven years in prison. Puyo Pedro's grandfather, José, maintained his belief that Afonso Dias was responsible for his grandson's disappearance. He had promised his daughter he would bring her son home no matter what, spending all of his money hiring private detectives and travelling to various countries, tirelessly searching for clues. In 2003, Jose was killed in a tractor accident. His sudden death was another devastating blow to Filomena, who credited her father as giving her the strength to carry on.

Jose was commended by the Lozada community for his ongoing determination and for ensuring the search efforts to find Pui Pedro continued. That same year, a major Portuguese pedophile ring was exposed after nine survivors came forward to report being subjected to sexual abuse during their time at state-run orphanages known as Casa Pia, or Houses of the Pious. Members of the ring included doctors, lawyers, a prominent television host, an ambassador, and other high-profile individuals. During the investigation, a former sex worker claimed to have seen Huipedru at a boarding house in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon and on a

videotape that was later given to Carlos Silvanu, a significant member of the pedophile ring. Silvanu was a driver for the orphanages and his role within the group was to transport children from Casa Pia to the homes of abusers. He later confessed to 639 charges relating to child abuse and procuring children for others. Seven members were later tried, six of whom were convicted of using the orphanages to rape a number of teenage boys. The trial sent shockwaves through the country, but no definitive link between the pedophile ring and Hoi Pedru was ever identified. The alleged videotape featuring footage of the child was never found. Over the ensuing years, Hoi Pedru's loved ones criticised the nation's bureaucracy over what they regarded as a sloppy

and negligent investigation. Channel TVI journalist Anna Leal reported that authorities had failed to speak to important witnesses or follow-up leads that emerged during the early days of the case. In addition, Filomena Teixeira had been sexually harassed by an inspector of the judicial police during the initial stages of the investigation, which resulted in her filing a complaint Puyo Pedro was particularly close to his uncle and godfather, Carlos Teixeira, whom he idolised In 2007, Carlos thanked the public for their ongoing support and solidarity, saying the family had employed all possible means in the search for clues, including resorting to the use of mediums and other spiritualists in Portugal and abroad.

They followed all instructions given by these alternative guides, including climbing mountains in the dark, visiting isolated abandoned houses, undergoing hypnotism, and participating in magic rituals, but to no result. At one stage, Philomena spent the night in a field after receiving word from her son's alleged captors that they were going to hand him over. Although she believed it was yet another con, her heart wouldn't let her miss the meeting. As anticipated, her hopes were dashed when no one showed. Although the botched investigation was a source of pain and frustration for the family, Carlos Teixeira remarked, I do not even feel entitled to say that I am harmed because my pain is so small

compared to what this child is going through. April 2007 marked nine years since Huipedru vanished. On the 28th of that month, Jerry and Kate McCann travelled from their home in Leicestershire, England, to a family resort in the coastal Portuguese village of Praia da Luz. Located in the Algarve region, 620 kilometres south of Lozada, the area was particularly popular with British tourists. Gerry and Kate brought their three children, two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie, and their three-year-old sister, Madeline. The McCann family were also joined by a group of friends and several of their young children.

The group spent the next five days enjoying the resort's facilities. Thursday May 3 2007 was the penultimate day of their trip. Thursday May 3 2007 was the penultimate day of their trip. At 7pm, Cade and Jerry put the children to bed before going to meet their friends for an 8.30pm dinner. The restaurant was located 82 metres from their ground floor rental apartment. Every 30 minutes, one of the adults would take the short walk back to the residential block to check on their sleeping children. At 10pm, Kate entered her apartment and looked into her children's bedroom and noticed the window was open and Madeline was missing. The authorities were notified immediately and search parties quickly set out, but no trace of Madeline McCann has ever been found and the circumstances of her disappearance remain a mystery.

Rumours circulated that Madeline's case was connected to the disappearance of Rui Pedro, although it has been confirmed that Madeline was not featured in any images or videos confiscated from the Wonderland Club. Given that Afonso Dias' job as a truck driver required him to travel extensively around Portugal, he was also considered a suspect in Madeline's case. Filomena told newspaper 24 Horas, I immediately thought of my son, even though the cases are different, and I thought of Madeline's parents, the anguish they are suffering. The Teixeira Mendonca family sent the McCanns a letter, but never received a reply.

As with Hui Pedru's case, a number of investigative mistakes were made from the outset of Madeline's disappearance, but her abduction received far more attention, resources, media coverage and funding. This disparity caused tensions between the McCanns and the Portuguese public, with newspaper headlines asking, what about our missing children? paper headlines asking, what about our missing children? Filomena Teixeira told journalists that while she was glad the police were taking great efforts to find Madeline, she felt it was unjust that the same efforts weren't being made to recover missing Portuguese children. She had been unaware that Portugal even had forensic police units until Madeline's disappearance, as their services had never been engaged in the search for her son.

Filomena told television news reporters, The McCanns have everything available to them, even a helicopter. I didn't have that nine years ago. I didn't have anything. In an interview with Carus magazine, she said, It is hard for me to see all the means available for this case when Pedro received none of this. I have the same right as Madeline's parents. I demand the same treatment for my son's case. Investigators promise me that my son's case is not forgotten. They work hard but have no

means. Our government has not yet realised that this is a real problem and that it requires real measures, such as a change of law and adequate means to investigate. Portuguese nationals believed that Hoi Pedro might have been found already if his case had been given the same amount of due diligence as the McCann investigation. The Vice President of the Algarve Tourist Board stated, There is no doubt that this case has a much higher profile because Madeline is British and was on holiday here and this is causing resentment amongst the Portuguese. Child protection campaigners alleged that corruption and complacency were

rampant amongst Portuguese law enforcement, which allowed such kidnappings to continue. The founder of international child advocacy group Innocence in Danger stated that she had tried to set up an office in Portugal but eventually gave up because local authorities were reluctant about the idea. At the time of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, police were still distributing a photograph of Rui Pedro at age 11 rather than taking advantage of age progression technology to show what he might look like at age 20. Filomena insisted that police update her son's image to increase the likelihood of him being identified, but they refused. In response, several artists volunteered to create a portrait of what Hoi Pedru might look

like at 20 years old, with Filomena describing these illustrations as, quote, "...the best gift of recent times." On June 1 2007, Filomena attended an event for World Children's Day that aimed to raise awareness for missing minors. She told Caras magazine she felt Hoi Pedro wasn't in Portugal, adding, It is hard for me to imagine what he will be doing. I have been in psychiatric treatment because I start thinking about what happened or how he might be. I always imagine that I will find him in a way that I can still do something for him. Even if he is sick or fragile, I will help him recover and we will still have a future. Puyo Pedro's younger sister, Karina, who was now 18 years old,

still referred to her brother in the present tense and expressed her belief that he would return. In 2009, new hopes were ignited when, in the United States, kidnapping survivor Jacey Lee Dugard was found 18 years after she was abducted from a street near her Californian home in 1991. Covered in episode 33 of Case File, Jacey was held captive by convicted sex offender Philip Garrido and his wife Nancy in their home for almost two decades before she was discovered and rescued by law enforcement. Like Hui Pedro, Jacey was 11 years old at the time of her abduction. Like Hoi Pedro, Jacey was 11 years old at the time of her abduction. Her reappearance gave the Teixeira Mendonca family some encouragement about the ingenuity of investigators and fuelled hope that Hoi Pedro might still be found alive.

Two years later, a new police team based in Porto used witness statements taken during the crucial hours after Rui Pedro's disappearance to reconstruct what likely happened to him in the 24 hours following. As a result of these efforts, on February 11 2011, Portugal's Central Department of Criminal Investigation and Prosecution indicted Afonso Dias. Dias, the long-time prime suspect in the now 13-year-old case, was charged with aggravated abduction. Ricardo Sarr Fernandes, the lawyer for the Teixeira Mendonça family, lamented the very large delay the public prosecutor's office had taken in issuing the indictment, but welcomed it as an opportunity of hope for Huy Pedro's parents. Sar Fernandez said

these efforts should have been made in the original investigation. Quote, During the 48 hours that followed the disappearance, the investigation failed to respect basic procedures and led to weeks, months, years going by with nothing being done. A preliminary hearing was held at Lozada's district court to determine whether Dias would be tried for the young boy's disappearance. Prosecutors maintained that on the afternoon of March 4, 1998, Dias drove Rui Pedro to visit sex workers before taking him to an unknown destination. They noted that Dias lacked an adequate alibi between 2pm and 6.45pm that day. Although he claimed he had been walking around the nearby city all afternoon,

he was unable to provide any specific locations. Prosecutors believed he knew what happened to Pedro, but refused to tell as it would implicate him in the abduction. In response, him in the abduction. In response, Deas declared himself a victim, claiming the allegations were quote, without factual support and that Huy Pedro did not enter his vehicle under such circumstances. He questioned the central testimony of the prosecution's key witnesses, including Huy Pedro's three friends who were present at the field on March 4 1998. As their statements were supplied over three different periods ranging from 1998 to 2008, Dias argued they were inaccurate and unreliable. He asserted that Alcina, the sex worker, gave an inaccurate description of the boys she saw

on that afternoon, initially saying his eyes were blue before changing her statement to say they were dark brown. Dias also highlighted that the prosecution had no physical evidence to prove Juipedru had been in his car. He claimed, to prove Juipedru had been in his car. He claimed, As far as Juipedru is concerned, the thing I want most in the world is that he appears. I never denied being with him, but I never saw him again after we parted company that day, and I haven't a clue what happened to him. Despite his efforts to discredit the case against him, Alfonso Dias was formally accused of kidnapping and ordered to stand trial.

The purpose of the trial was not to determine exactly what happened to Huipedru, but to decide whether Dias was responsible for his disappearance. but to decide whether Dias was responsible for his disappearance. The accused continued to maintain his innocence while refusing to clarify exactly what happened on the afternoon Juan Pedro went missing. The trial began in the court of Lozada on November 17 2011. Dias, who was now 34 years old, requested to be excused from attending on the grounds that prolonged absence from his job as a long-distance truck driver would result in economic difficulties, but his request was denied. He also claimed to have cognitive difficulties that translated into an inability to, quote, situate himself in time and space and requested to undergo

psychological testing, but this request was also denied. Due to the amount of publicity surrounding the case and the public's hostility towards Diersch, the Lozada Municipal Police closed the streets surrounding the courthouse and increased their presence for the trial. Filomena Teixeira testified, detailing the moment she farewelled her son as he cycled towards the field behind her workplace. him, describing Dias as a childish person who, at the age of 22, played on an equal footing with her 11-year-old son and had consequently appeared harmless. Puyi Pedru's cousin, Joao André, also took the stand. The now-adult André told the court that on the day of his cousin's disappearance, Dias planned to take him and Tui Pedro to meet with sex workers, despite the fact they were both children.

As Andrzej missed the meeting, he believed he may have avoided becoming a victim himself. Plagued with survivor's guilt, he thought he could have saved his cousin from being kidnapped had he been there, saying, Being two, we might have had the strength to flee. Alcina, the sex worker who was approached by a man with a young boy on March 4 1998, also appeared in court. During her testimony, she was shown a photograph of 11-year-old Jorge Pedro and said she was absolutely certain it was him she met that day. When asked if the man who accompanied the child was sitting in the dock, Alcina stared at Dias for several seconds before replying, yes. The defence pointed out that during the investigation, Alcina never unequivocally identified the driver of the car as Alfonso Dias.

She conceded this was correct, but explained the authorities had never attempted to help her formally identify the man, despite speaking with them on three separate occasions. She was finally able to do so in court, as it was the first time since the event she had seen Dias face to face A former judiciary police inspector who was involved in the investigation from its inception until 2001 Told the court he believed Rui Pedro may still be alive, noting I have no evidence, but that's my belief. Regarding Afonso Dias, the former officer remarked, There were some things that did not fit right. I could not materialise evidence that he was guilty or innocent.

He contested Alcina's statement, claiming that two days after Huipedru's disappearance, she said the man who approached her drove a white car, not a black one like Dias's. Huipedru's uncle, who accompanied the inspector to speak with Alcina during the initial investigation, rebutted this, maintaining that she had described a black vehicle. maintaining that she had described a black vehicle. The defence put forward a different timeline of events for the afternoon of Rui Pedro's disappearance, claiming he had met with Dias prior to riding his bike to visit his mother at her workplace. They argued that the prosecution was using Dias as a scapegoat and he was only being accused because of the animosity that had

been brewing between their client and Rui Pedro's father Manuel at the time of his son's disappearance. They claimed Manuel was jealous of the amount of time Dias spent with his wife and son, resulting in Dias and Filomena concealing their meetings from him. Manuel denied these allegations, saying his main concern was only ever the age difference between Diez and Huipedru. The group of judges presiding over the case, along with several witnesses and the Teixeira-Mendonza family, travelled to key locations throughout Lozada to re-enact the circumstances leading to Huipedru's disappearance. They went from the field behind the Teixeira's driving school to the Luxtoza sex work zone, which was allegedly where Deix had taken the boy

and the last place he was seen. Filomena chose to stay in the car with her daughter as she had already visited the area to search for clues after Alcina provided her statement at the outset of the investigation. Being there again so many years later brought her deep sorrow as she wondered what she could have done to prevent her son's disappearance. Manuel later told Cadres Magazine, it was difficult to relive that final day, but he endured it because he believed it would help find the truth. The prosecution requested Alfonso Dias be imprisoned, noting he had shown no sign of remorse and had

behaved with total indifference. Quote, I ask for justice for the resolution of the case. At the end of this process is the hurt and anguish at not finding out what happened to Pedro. We ask for justice and expect it to be done. On February 22 2012, in a result that surprised many, Alfonso Dias was acquitted. The panel of judges rejected the testimonies from the prosecution's witnesses and accepted the defence's argument that Philomena was the last person to have seen Huipedru. The decision was based on what was described as weaknesses in the evidence, citing in particular the, quote, lack of consistency in Alcina's testimony. Members of the public were outraged by the decision, with some who had gathered at the

courthouse in anticipation of a guilty verdict shouting abuse at Alfonso Dias as he left the free man. Following his acquittal, Dias told television station RTP1 that he last saw Rui Pedro on the afternoon of March 4 1998 when he drove away from the field where the 11-year-old was riding his bike. Deas, who had since married and had a 9-year-old son, said he now feared for his family's safety. He regretted the suffering they had endured but expressed relief at the court's decision. Quote, but expressed relief at the court's decision. Quote, When I got home, I said, Son, it's proven that your father never had anything to do with it.

He stated he would continue to believe that Hoi Pedru was still alive until it was proven otherwise. The outcome of the trial had a devastating impact on Philomena, causing both her physical and emotional wellbeing to deteriorate significantly. She struggled to eat, with her weight plummeting to 39 kilograms. The Teixeira Mendonca family made a submission to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the trial judges had relied on evidence that should have been forbidden, specifically the testimony of three inspectors who did little to investigate the case. Despite their lack of involvement, the court had regarded the officers as reliable and informed witnesses, especially when it came to discrediting Alcina's testimony.

The family's lawyer, Ricardo Sarsanandes, claimed the inspector's uninformed statements poisoned and infected the court's decision and that, quote, the judgment was not of the judges, but of the three inspectors. Sarsanandes called the ruling that Filomena was the last person to have seen her son unbelievable, stating, Well, that does not make any sense. Why was Juan Pedro going to ask his mother to go out with Alfonso when he had already been with him? One of the other driving school employees had also testified to seeing Rui Pedro visit his mother at approximately 2.15pm on the day of his disappearance and overheard

Filomena denying his request to meet with Deix. Sar Fernandez called the court's finding unacceptable, stating, Hernandez called the court's finding unacceptable, stating, This case cannot stay with this decision for the sake of our history. We owe this to the memory of Hojpedru, if he is dead or if he is alive. And we owe this to Alcina, an extraordinary woman who did not gain anything from it and told the truth. The Teixeira Mendonca family continued to fight for a retrial, with Manuel stating, Until we know what happened to Juan Pedro, we will continue, while Filomena once again called for justice to be done. The acquittal was condemned by the Court of Appeal and a retrial was scheduled for 2014.

Although this news was favourable, Philomena questioned whether she had the strength to continue with more legal ordeals. As the retrial approached, Manuel explained, After learning that the case was going to retrial, my wife managed to recover a little and now weighs 47 kilograms, but as she approached the trial, she stopped eating again and became more fragile. The doctors feared that she would become very thin again. would become very thin again. Philomena was overwhelmed with anxiety and required hospitalisation to be fed through a tube. When concerns arose whether she would be able to testify, Manuel told the media, She has to do it and she will because he is very important to her.

will, because he is very important to her. The retrial commenced at the Appellate Court of Porto. Philomena was one of the first witnesses to testify before a new panel of judges, and once again publicly relived the last time she saw her son. After both sides had presented their cases for the second time, the judges considered the evidence and reached a conclusion. They accepted Alfonso Dias had indeed taken Rui Pedro from the field to visit Alcina. For his attempt to make the 11-year-old engage with sex workers, Dias was found guilty for corruption of a minor. The judges concluded Dias was the last person in Rui Pedro's company before he vanished. However, they believed there wasn't enough evidence to prove he was responsible for

the disappearance itself and he was not convicted of the boy's abduction. itself and he was not convicted of the boy's abduction. On March 4 2013, 15 years to the day after Juan Pedro's disappearance, Dias was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. Ricardo Sarsenandes, the Teixeira-Mendoza family's lawyer, remarked, For me, this is a very important day, very important for Philomena and for Manuel, but it is above all a very important day for Juan Pedro, because Juan Pedro may be alive and we will continue the search for him. And if he is not alive, his memory deserves that we carry on until we know what happened to him. It is the first victory, but not the last. The last victory will be when we know what happened to him. Filomena praised the court's decision, calling it a glimmer of hope and a little light at the end of the tunnel.

On March 18 2015, after exhausting all possible avenues of appeal, Dias began his prison sentence in the northern Portuguese city of Guimarães. Two years later, in late March 2017, he was paroled for good behaviour after serving just two-thirds of his sentence. His early release came as a disappointment to Filomena, who was overcome by emotional and physical exhaustion when she heard the news. She later described her reaction to reporters from Flash magazine, stating, I feel such a great revulsion. I am sorry to live in a country where people and institutions are not what they should be. I think there is more and more injustice. Each anniversary of her son's disappearance was extremely painful for Philomena, as it felt like he had only vanished yesterday.

She often dreamt of him playing happily with his sister and imagined the man he would have become. Filomena felt Juipedru would still be constantly smiling as he did when he was a boy, saying, I am hopeful that he is a tall man with a strong structure. I can only imagine the hug I am going to give him. Alfonso Dias maintained his innocence, insisting that he served time for a crime he didn't commit. He told a journalist from National Daily newspaper, Jornal de Notícias, that he was truly a free man because he never rode anything to anyone. In an interview with a popular Portuguese news program, he said the warning he gave police to close the borders shortly after Rui Pedro went missing was sarcastic. Quote, His grandad thought I threw the kid onto the back of a truck, so the same interview, he referred to Alsina as a bitch and a whore multiple times,

prompting the interviewer to interject. the interviewer to interject. When the 16th anniversary of Rui Pedro's disappearance approached, filmmaker Claudia Clemente used social media to spread awareness about the unsolved case, fearing the conviction of Afonso Dias might have misled the Portuguese people into thinking the investigation was over. With the help of a team of audiovisual and communications professionals, she created a 90-second online video campaign in which two presenters reminisce about a range of special occasions typically spent with family, stating, Those were years filled with news, surprises, and laughter. They then pose the question, do you remember these last years with your son? The screen fades to black before Filomena Teixeira appears and remarks whilst blinking back tears, I don't. Today my son Pedro turns 27. I haven't seen him since he was 11.

I'll never give up looking for him. According to the campaign, by 2014, more than 3 million children had been abducted around the world for sexual exploitation. abducted around the world for sexual exploitation. The video concludes with the following request. If you have any information that may help us locate Hojpedru, please let us know. It is never too late to help. It was Filomena's son who disappeared, but it could have been yours. but it could have been yours. By 2017, Filomena had retired due to disability and kept busy by taking care of her daughter, exploring various therapies, and continuing to search for her son. She kept Juy Pedro's bedroom exactly as he had left it in 1998, complete with his space-themed quilt cover, neat display of toy cars and action figures, video game console, and a poster of American actress Sandra Bullock hanging behind the door. The only things Philomena added were some images of saints

illuminated by lamps, a crucifix, and a bible, saying, by lamps, a crucifix and a bible, saying, I'm waiting for him to come back to tell us what he wants to change. That year, on the 19th anniversary of her son's disappearance, Philomena posted an appeal on Facebook imploring the public to continue looking for him. She said that while her family had adapted to their new reality, the tragedy had caused her to become isolated and uncertain of who to trust. She wrote, Puyo Pedro, you know deep down I still believe in miracles, otherwise I would not be alive, and I wait for you with open arms for a tight hug.

Do not forget, please. Promise me you will not forget him, and if anything happens to me, keep fighting to know what happened to him. That's all I have left. This despair of longing that only those who are mothers feel. Please do not forget it. Never give up. In 2018, a video of a homeless Portuguese man circulating on social media caught the attention of national news outlets. The bearded man was lean with tanned skin, lets. The bearded man was lean with tanned skin, had dark hair and eyes, and bore other striking similarities to Hoi Pedro. He said his name was Pedro and that he was 30 years old, which roughly matched the age Hoi Pedro would have been at the time. However, he was born and raised in Almada, a city located in southern Portugal,

approximately 350 kilometres south of Lozada. The video was shared thousands of times and sent to the Teixeira Mendonça family. Manuel noted the man in the footage shared some physical characteristics to his son, including large front teeth, but also noticed obvious differences, such as the shape of his ears. The video was sent to the authorities for further analysis and the judicial police managed to identify the individual. It was not Huy Pedro, but a man called Pedro Hebelu. Pui Pedro, but a man called Pedro Hebelu.

In January 2019, Filomena was interviewed by Portuguese television host Cristina Ferreira, during which she discussed how the search for her son had sent her into the dark world of pedophilia. She said she had cried so much that she had no more tears left, but made it clear that she did not mourn for her son as she believed he was alive. In response to her doctor's recommendation to place a memorial stone in Hojpedru's bedroom, Filomena said, You want me to put a grave in my son's room. My son is missing, not dead. Many continue to suspect that Afonso Dias was involved in Rui Pedro's disappearance,

with the general belief being that he took the child to sex workers to lose his virginity in preparation for selling him to a pedophile ring. There is evidence to prove the Wonderland Club had roots in Portugal, with at least one member living in the country at the time the group was exposed. Filomena believes Dias may have been a victim of blackmail, who was forced to play a role in her son's disappearance, but remains silent out of fear. in her son's disappearance, but remained silent out of fear. The Teixeira Mendonça family and the Portuguese public remain hopeful that Dias will one day break his silence and reveal the truth, with Manuel urging him to imagine what it would be like to live without his own child for so many years. On Rui Pedro's 32nd birthday, Filomena wrote a message that read, Son, I remember you in a mixture of emotions, joy and sadness. Joy because I had you and you

were part of me. Sadness because they took you and I did not have the opportunity to see you grow from the age of 11. On this day, I hope you will remember how much you have made me happy. I do not want to think I will never see you again. Today is your day, January 28, 2019. I await your arrival. Kiss and hug. Mother. Thank you.