The murder of a three-year-old girl in Portugal due to a settling of accounts between an alleged 'witch' and the girl's mother has shocked the entire country. Police investigations indicate that Jessica, the victim, was kidnapped and physically abused by those responsible for alleged "witchcraft services" for which her mother owed 400 euros.

The girl, according to EFE with information from Correio da Manha, was admitted in serious condition to a hospital in the city of Setúbal, after suffering a cardiac arrest. However, the toilets could not do anything to keep her alive, and she died.

Apparently, according to the first theses, Jessica's mother would have requested the services of a false 52-year-old nursemaid to do "witchcraft work" through which to maintain a relationship with the little girl's stepfather.

The mother, however, did not pay for these services, leaving a debt of 400 euros between her and the 'witch', who, along with her husband, kidnapped Jessica and physically abused her for several days, until she fell into cardiac arrest, which led to her death, as published by EFE. The couple faces a possible sentence for qualified homicide, and her daughter another one for denial of help for not reporting what happened.

Jessica's mother, who lied to social services pretending that, instead of being kidnapped, the girl was on vacation, is also being investigated. This "investigate the failures in the system so that they can be corrected," defended the Minister of the Presidency of Portugal, Mariana Vieira da Silva.