Sensitive souls, please refrain from reading this article. The Portugaloften perceived as a haven of peace, has also been the scene of some of the most abominable criminal acts. Today we're going to take a look at Luísa de Jesus, a woman who committed what we'd call horrific acts, taking the lives of dozens of children in appalling circumstances.
Luísa de Jesus, Portugal's first serial killer
Luísa de Jesus will go down in history as Portugal's first female serial killer. Her crimes were so barbaric that she became the last woman to be sentenced to death in Portugal. At the end of the 18th century, seeking financial compensation, she took the lives of thirty-three infants with her own hands, plunging society into horror.
Although some researchers consider her to be Portugal's first female serial killer, Luísa de Jesus remains an enigmatic figure. Born in December 1748 in Figueira do Lorvão, daughter of Manoel Rodrigues and Marianna Rodrigues, Luísa belonged to the lower class, working as a basket carrier.
The sinister work of Luísa de Jesus
Her work as a basket carrier would have taken her to Coimbra's Casa da Roda, where destitute mothers abandoned their unwanted children. The Roda dos Enjeitados, a cylindrical wooden device, was used to drop off babies, signalling their presence with a bell. Adopting families received a financial incentive, a box and half a meter of thick cotton fabric.
Luísa is said to have "adopted" around thirty-three babies on behalf of others, but her intentions were far from honorable. Alone with the children, she suffocated them before burying them in Monte-Arroio, just a few meters from the Roda de Coimbra. The reasons why Luísa de Jesus committed these cruel acts remain obscure, as she would have had an apparently normal childhood without abuse.
The tragic end of Luísa de Jesus
Luisa de Jesus' crimes came to an end on April 1, 1772, when nun Angelica Maria accidentally discovered a badly buried corpse in Monte-Arroio. Excavation revealed two smothered babies. Luisa was quickly identified as the main suspect. When questioned on April 6, she coldly confessed to having murdered the three babies.
Despite her confession, the case was not yet closed. The authorities continued their investigation and discovered that Luísa had been providing false addresses and names to Casa da Roda de Coimbra. None of the babies had reached the families who were supposed to adopt them. Nanny Margarida Joaquina and Roda Leocádia director Maria da Conceição were arrested for what would today be described as "criminal negligence", but released shortly afterwards.
Luísa had succeeded in deceiving everyone around her. Even the lawyer Pascoal Luís Ferreira da Silva, responsible for registering newborn certificates, had attested to the veracity of the information provided by the murderess. Although he was arrested, he was released for lack of evidence.
Excavations at Monte-Arroio revealed further horrors. Luisa confessed on April 18 to having killed seven more children, bringing the total to nine. In her house, eighteen more babies' bodies were discovered, ten buried and eight dismembered in jars.
On July 1 of the same year, Luisa de Jesus was sentenced to a severe punishment. She walked through the streets with a rope around her neck, her crimes told to the crowds. She was burned with red-hot tongs, then her hands were cut off. Finally, Luisa died at the withers. Her corpse was burned; she was only 22 years old.
