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99P956 AI generated

Portuguese court rules special culpability for homicide due to surprise attack and rejects putative self-defense as factual error.

Case Number 99P956
Court / Authority
Jurisdiction Portugal (PT)
Decision Date
Outcome Dismissed
Open official source Machine-readable Markdown (.md)

Legislator summary

AI generated

The Supreme Court of Justice denied the appeal, affirming the conviction for qualified homicide under Article 132, paragraph 1, of the Penal Code. The court found the defendant's act highly censurable because the victim was surprised at close range with no expectation of danger. Consequently, the defense of putative self-defense was rejected as merely an error regarding factual circumstances rather than a valid self-defense situation.

Legislator headnote

Official

HOMICÍDIO QUALIFICADO ESPECIAL CENSURABILIDADE DO AGENTE LEGÍTIMA DEFESA PUTATIVA ERRO SOBRE ELEMENTOS DE FACTO

Keywords

AI generated
qualified homicide special culpability putative self-defense factual error surprise attack close range unanimous decision

Cited Legislation

AI generated
Art. 132, n. 1 CP
Art. 131 CP
Art. 33 CP
Art. 16, n. 1 CP
Art. 16, n. 2 CP

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Full text

[Nº CONVENCIONAL] JSTJ00035846

[Nº DO DOCUMENTO] SJ199912090009563

[PRIVACIDADE] 1

[PROCESSO NO TRIBUNAL RECURSO] 15/99

[TEXTO INTEGRAL] N

[TRIBUNAL RECURSO] T J AMARANTE

[URL] https://www.dgsi.pt/jstj.nsf/954f0ce6ad9dd8b980256b5f003fa814/57F4CF7CDD37640F80256A570043DFD8?OpenDocument

SUMÁRIO

I - O facto de o arguido ter disparado a pistola contra o peito da vítima quando esta se encontrava à sua frente, de pé, a cerca de 20/30 cm do balcão que os separava, atingindo-o no segundo espaço intercostal, sem que ninguém o esperasse e surpreendendo aquela com a rapidez da sua actuação, revela especial censurabilidade que qualifica o homicídio nos termos do art. 132, n. 1.

II - A legítima defesa putativa não é, em bom rigor, uma situação de legítima defesa mas, sim, de erro sobre as circunstâncias do facto ou, mais precisamente, sobre um estado de coisas que, a existir, excluiria a ilicitude.