GUILTY PORTUGAL - Valentina Fonseca, 9, found deceased, Peniche, 7 May 2020 *father, stepmother arrested*

[swanniee11]

very sad outcome. Kind of knew that it may go that way. Forgot to lock the door, driving to the police station etc etc. Prayers to her mother, siblings. Fly high Valentina

 

[Lusitana]

Poor baby. I dont understand why they killed her,it cant be because they were sue to leave the country and didnt want to take her with them,they could have just left her with her mother where she wanted to be in the first place.
I wonder if the father is covering for the stepmum?

No, it had nothing to do with him leaving the country. I just mentioned it because had her body not been found today, it would probably be a little harder to do so once they had moved away.
What has been proposed was that Valentina was either throwing a tantrum (as normal kids do) or wouldn't stop crying, and the father ended up strangling her. I have trouble believing he didn't realize she was dying though. He had to know. If the cause of death was asphyxiation through strangulation and she has no other signs of trauma, I believe it was a case of the child being upset and the parent being extremely violent and killing her. LE stated in the PC that they didn't believe it was an accidental death and I agree, nobody strangles a child on accident, the father knew he was killing her and saw her dying. I don't see why he would cover for the stepmother though. She might have done something to her too, I guess we will know more once they are charged.

 

[Lusitana]

Valentina's father returns home with LE to perform a crime reconstruction

The father and the stepmother were taken separately to the home to perform a crime reconstruction. Additionally, the father was also taken to the recovery site. The stepmother is still at the home at the moment.

 

[Lusitana]

LE also took the stepmother to the site where the body was disposed of. It lasted like 2 minutes at the most, I didn't even see her getting out of the car. The locals went crazy on her and LE took her out of there really quickly.

 

[Sarahlou]

Poor baby. I dont understand why they killed her,it cant be because they were sue to leave the country and didnt want to take her with them,they could have just left her with her mother where she wanted to be in the first place.
I wonder if the father is covering for the stepmum?

I wonder if they'd been abusive to her and she was going to tell?

 

[24Roses]

Another young child forever safe with Jesus. Rest in peace Valentina. A beautiful name for a beautiful young lady.

 

[LadyL]

dbm

 

[LadyL]

That picture is from the moment the clothes were handed from the person who found them to the LE memember. I have no doubts that these clothes were bagged right away. I believe the parents were able to confirm if they belong to the child.

but the officer should have been wearing gloves at the very least

 

[LadyL]

RIP Valentina.

 

[Lusitana]

The stepmother is saying she didn't do anything and that she didn't even help with moving the body. Sick people.

 

[Edinlass]

Heartbreaking.

 

[Lusitana]

I'm just glad they didn't dispose of the body into the sea, considering that there are several beaches relatively close to their house. If they had done that, I doubt this poor girl would ever been found. Rest in peace, kiddo.

 

[Mimi in London]

I wonder if they'd been abusive to her and she was going to tell?

Yes, it would make sense that she was witness to something that they didn’t want told. Bless her soul.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

So very sorry to see this outcome. Her father is obviously without a conscience. However involved the stepmother was or wasn't, she could have tried to stop him, call police, anything, something. Hopefully neither of them is ever released from prison.

I feel for the other children who have now lost their parents and sister. And for Valentina herself, how she must have felt. And her poor mama and grandparents.

 

[Anirtak]

I'm sickened by people like this. I'm glad they gave up her location so she can have a proper burial and her mother can have some sort of closure.

 

[Sarahlou]

So very sorry to see this outcome. Her father is obviously without a conscience. However involved the stepmother was or wasn't, she could have tried to stop him, call police, anything, something. Hopefully neither of them is ever released from prison.

I feel for the other children who have now lost their parents and sister. And for Valentina herself, how she must have felt. And her poor mama and grandparents.

Unfortunately they won't be in jail long enough. I looked up sentencing on wiki and this is what it said for Portugal:

Homicide, or wilful and intentional murder (art. 131 of the Penal Code), is punishable with a prison sentence of no less than 8 years and no longer than 16 years.

Aggravated homicide (art. 132 of the Penal Code) is considered any wilful and intentional act in which death is provoked under particularly censurable or malicious circumstances, and is punishable with a prison term of no less than 12 and no longer than 25 years.

Murder (Portuguese law) - Wikipedia

 

[bancam]

The father: Sandro Bernardo
The stepmother: Marcia Bernardo

The timeline pics from Aug 2013 of him holding his daughter are particularly gut wrenching. Valentina would’ve been 2 or 3yo at the time.

Sandro Bernardo

 

[Via Marple]

An English report on this case ( the only one on Google)

Missing Valentina: body found. Father and stepmother arrested. - Portugal Resident

 

[bancam]

Murder (Portuguese law) - Wikipedia

Oh how nice, they can even have their criminal records fully expunged before retirement, as if it all never happened...

“...Any criminal conviction registered on the felon’s criminal record is stricken after a certain period of time, depending on the gravity of the offence. In the case of murder, this fact would be stricken from the murderer's criminal record once 15 years have elapsed from fully serving their sentence without committing any other offence.”

 

[Fleur-de-lis]

IMOO, previous abuse will be found out about, partially explaining why such a young child would "run away" from that house a year ago.