Officer accused of Portuguese fan assault

The lawyer representing a man and his father who were beaten by a Portuguese police officer outside a football stadium says she has filed complaints accusing the officer of aggravated physical assault.

The charges carry a combined maximum sentence of eight years in prison.

Lawyer Sonia Carneiro said the two complaints are on behalf of Jose Magalhaes and his 66-year-old father.

Video showed officers approaching Mr Magalhaes, his two sons and his father on Sunday outside Guimaraes stadium in northern Portugal, where Benfica had just won the Portuguese league title.

Magalhaes’s sons, aged nine and 13, witnessed the incident but were not hurt.

The incident triggered a scandal in Portugal. The police, the public prosecutor and the government have all opened investigations into the officer’s conduct.

Ms Carneiro said she filed the complaints at the public prosecutor's office in Guimaraes.

The complaint alleges the beating of Mr Magalhaes was aggravated because the policeman used a steel truncheon, and used repeated, excessive and unnecessary force, Ms Carneiro said.

The complaint by his father alleges the assault on him was aggravated because of his age and physical frailty, she said.

Eight witnesses are willing to testify on behalf of the two men.

There is no time-frame for a ruling by the public prosecutor, Ms Carneiro said.