Mystery as headless corpse is found near major tourist attraction in Portugal
The corpse of the unidentified man was discovered by police at around 6.45am on Wednesday.
The body was found 'without its head' behind the Lisbon Coliseum (Coliseu dos Recreios), in the heart of the capital city.
The country's Judiciary Police are on the scene alongside murder detectives, reports national newspaper Publico.
Forensic teams have been working throughout the day to gather evidence.
The body was reportedly found in Pátio do Salema, a narrow alley behind the performance venue.
The Coliseu dos Recreios is a historic concert hall that was built in the city in 1890.
The auditorium is known for its architectural innovation, including its iron dome with a 25-metre radius originally ordered from Germany.
The body was found 'without its head' behind the Lisbon Coliseum (Coliseu dos Recreios), in the heart of the capital city
Over the years, the venue has hosted a variety of performances from opera singers Alfredo Kraus and Antonietta Stella to circus acts and concerts by singer Madonna.
On Tuesday, the body of a woman in her 50s was discovered in the boot of a car nearby the auditorium in Costa da Caparica.
Rates of violent crime increased in Portugal by almost three per cent between 2023 and 2024, reported Expresso, with more car and home thefts, bank robberies and rapes occurring in the country according to the Annual Internal Security Report (RASI).
Reports of rape in particular reached their highest level in a decade, increasing by 49 to 543 recorded rape cases in 2024.
But Portugal has a low homicide rate compared to other countries in the EU, of 0.6 per 100,000 people.
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