An 80-year-old diabetic woman living alone was evicted on Thursday from her home on municipal land in Barreiro, Portugal, local officials said.
The eviction operation began at around 9:45 am and continued until nearly 5:00 pm, when emergency firefighters provided support to the woman and transported her to a local hospital unit.
Juvenal Silvestre, the president of the Union of Parishes of Palhais and Coina, condemned the eviction as an illegal action and declared that local authorities and residents were caught entirely by surprise.
In Portugal, civil parish unions represent local administrative subdivisions that work alongside municipal councils to manage community welfare. Barreiro is a municipality located on the south bank of the Tagus River estuary across from Lisbon.
Eviction carried out without municipal notification
Silvestre stated to Portuguese news outlet Correio da Manha that neither the Barreiro Municipal Council nor the woman's lawyer was contacted prior to the eviction. He noted that the land on which the home sits is municipal property owned by the local council itself.
According to Silvestre, officials executing the eviction guaranteed only that a judge had issued a court order mandating the removal. The municipal council, despite owning the land, received no prior notice or opportunity to be heard regarding the property.
The woman's immediate destination remained uncertain following the removal. Silvestre noted that she has a sister who is 99 percent disabled and a son who does not reside at the property.
Expressing regret over the outcome, Silvestre said that the woman was left with nowhere to go. He added that such treatment was unacceptable regardless of whether a resident is young or old.
Social Security involvement and official claims
Upon arriving at the scene, the court solicitor handling the eviction stated that the woman's situation would be coordinated with Portugal's national Social Security agency, Seguranca Social.
Court solicitors in Portugal are legal professionals authorized to execute judicial decrees and property enforcement orders. Seguranca Social is the state institution tasked with providing emergency housing assistance and social protection to vulnerable individuals.
The court solicitor asserted that several alternatives had been offered to the family before proceeding with the eviction. Because the family did not accept those options, authorities proceeded with the eviction process.
Silvestre disputed the validity of the process, emphasizing that the path chosen failed even to consult the municipal council as the owner of the land where the residence stands.
Local firefighter personnel stationed at the scene provided assistance to the elderly woman throughout the multi-hour eviction before taking her to a hospital unit for medical evaluation.
Silvestre guaranteed that parish officials will continue to monitor the case and follow up on the woman's welfare as social services address her living situation.
