Construction Workers Statements

06-Processos Vol VI Pages 1652 – 1653


Witness Statement


Carlos Manuel Figueiredo Pereira

Date: 2007/05/31

Occupation: Civil Engineer

He comes to the process as a witness, he works for the municipal chamber of Lagos since 1988 as a civil engineer.

With specific reference to the Urban and Environmental re-qualification works carried out in the town of Luz, namely in Rua Direita, the witness clarifies the following:

During 2006 a public tender was issued with the aim of adjudicating the firm offering the best conditions and guarantees.

This tender was won by the company Canana & Filhos Ltda and the date for starting work was established as April of the current year (2007).

During the first days/weeks of April in Rua Direita together with Largo da Republica, the different necessary infrastructures were created such as : networks for domestic drains, water supply, public lighting and telephones. These actions took place over the course of about 30 days, following others that had been implemented along Rua Helena Nascimiento Baptista.

With regard to the month of May, and after the first days of the month, work was begun at Rua Direita, aiming at the installation of water pipes, telephones and public lighting. The technical space excavated which guaranteed the application of three types of infrastructure previously mentioned, had the following average dimensions : 1,20 metres deep by 0,90 metres long, it being certain during the excavation work that they were almost immediately covered with sand and earth.


When asked how the daily checking was done, with regard to security measures and the quality of the work carried out, the witness said there was nothing abnormal to point out, it was a work that had been carried out calmly and without any incidents.

No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.

06-Processos Vol VI Pages 1650 – 1651


Witness statement

Fábio Alexandre Rodrigues Marques

Date: 2007-05-31

Occupation: Machine Operator


He comes to the process as a witness.

He works for the company Canana and Sons since the 1st May of this year carrying out the functions of machine operator, having signed a work contract on the same date. That since this time, he began works on the works already in progress on some of the roads in P da L. According to his functions since 1st May, the witness began to open passages in the main roads using a mini drill, these passages were destined for the installation of electrical cables and drains for rain water respectively, in Rua Direita.

When questioned, the witness replies that the passages and holes made were generally covered up on the same day they were made.

In relation to other openings that could have remained open during the night, from one day to another, the witness says that in the case of the passages, anyone who would fall in would be visible from the road and that the other openings were too small for a two year old child to fall in. The witness adds that these openings would in turn be linked to a series of conducts of a larger size, knowing that in order to link an opening to a conduct, an orifice would be opened in the latter, opened up using a drill. These conducts would have round metallic covers. He saw some of these covers open, for the purposes of being levelled with the pavement, however he knows they were closed at the end of the working day.

When questioned, the witness says that he remembers that on the day following the disappearance, on 4th May, various GNR officers with dogs appeared on the scene, who had come to examine the possibility that the girl might be in one of the openings. The witness says that following the events he paid more attention to the work site and never saw anything abnormal, namely the fact that the missing child could be there.


When asked, the witness says that he considers that there were no openings, that due to their size, location or to being open could present a risk for a child to fall in and disappear.

No more is said. Reads, ratifies and signs.