British boy, 13, 'stabbed to death in Portugal by mum's ex' before alleged attacker 'dies in gas explosion'
The boy was stabbed with a bladed before the alleged attacker barricaded himself inside the house, police say
A British teenager was stabbed to death in Portugal before the suspect allegedly died in a gas explosion.
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The 13-year-old was killed in the town of Tomar on Tuesday.
The suspect, who is believed to be his mum’s ex-partner, is thought to have then died following an explosion reportedly sparked by a gas leak.
The alleged attacker turned on the gas, setting off the fatal explosion, it is understood.
The boy was stabbed with a bladed before the alleged attacker barricaded himself inside the house, according to local media.
His mother was also injured in the blast and taken to Tomar Hospital, where she is being treated for minor physical injuries and receiving psychological assistance.
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Local police were reportedly alerted to reports of domestic violence at around 12pm.
They arrived on a scene described as homicide followed by suicide.
A spokesman for Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria force said it was working to clarify the circumstances of two deaths amid an ongoing probe.
"These are the deaths by stabbing of a 13-year-old boy and that of the presumed perpetrator, his mother’s former partner, who herself was found by authorities with signs of having been bound and assaulted and has since been taken to the nearest hospital.
“Both the alleged assailant and the minor had multiple stab wounds. Despite vital signs still being detected, death was declared at the scene moments later,” he said.
He added: "Following an alert about what appeared to be a domestic violence situation, the GNR police force was dispatched to the scene. Inside the residence, there was a strong smell of gas, which moments later resulted in an explosion that injured one of the GNR officers.
“The alleged perpetrator had already served a prison sentence for homicide, and the family had been flagged following domestic violence cases registered in 2022 and 2023.”
The suspect was a Portuguese national, 43.
Luis Freire, president of the local parish council for Tomar's Casais and Alviobeira areas, said police were aware of previous instances of domestic violence between the suspect and the victim’s mother.
The ex-partner reportedly continued to visit the mother's house despite the fact they were separated, according to neighbours.