Two professors from the University of Madeira (UMa), Nelson Veríssimo and Alice Mendonça, have been convicted in Funchal court. Both were sentenced to pay fines for the crime of slanderous denunciation. Nelson Veríssimo was also convicted of defamation.
The affected party was university lecturer Liliana Rodrigues. Nelson Veríssimo was ordered to pay her 35,000 euros in damages, and both defendants jointly must pay 5,000 euros. Judge Fernanda Sequeira read the verdict, which may be appealed. The case stemmed from a complaint regarding a 2020 associate professor competition, where they alleged Liliana Rodrigues submitted a CV with false statements about her teaching and involvement in creating a master's course while serving as a Member of the European Parliament. The initial complaint against Rodrigues was dismissed, leading her to file a defamation suit against her colleagues in 2021.