1. Gonçalo Amaral made the statements that are attributed to him under the Correio da Manhã. Proved.

2. Proved that the defendant Guerra&Paz fixed the cover price of the book Maddie - A Verdade da Mentira in Portugal is € 13,33.

According to the affirmation 2 : 13,80, VAT included (6%).

3. and 4. Proved that the defendant Gonçalo Amaral earned from the sales of the book “Maddie, A Verdade da Mentira” in 2008 and 2009 an amount of € 342.111,86.

According to the affirmation 3 : GA earned from the sales in Portugal € 621.000.
According to the affirmation 4, GA has earned from the sale of editions in foreign languages of the book not less than € 498.750.

5. The book was sold in Brazil by the defendant Guerra e Paz, Editores SA.
Not proved.

6. Proved that the DVD was sold for € 6,95 by Presselivre Imprensa SA together with the newspaper Correio da Manhã, owned by this company.
According to the affirmation 6 : cover price of € 6.

7. Proved that the defendant Gonçalo Amaral earned € 40.000 from DVD sales in 2008.

According to the affirmation 7, he earned from the sale of the DVD € 112.500.

8. Proved that the DVD was edited and the edited copies were commercialized by Valentim de Carvalho–Filmes, Audiovisuais SA through an agreement with Presselivre SA.
The affirmation 8 uses “sold" instead of "commercialized".

9. The defendant Valentim de Carvalho–Filmes, Audiovisuais SA had already made the DVD, in an English version, available for immediate delivery via internet order.
Not proved.

10. At least 2.200.000 people have watched the program that was broadcast on 13.4.2009.
Proved.

11. Because of the statements made by the defendant Gonçalo Amaral in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, the Judicial Police stopped collecting information and investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Not proved.

12. Because of the statements made by the defendant Gonçalo Amaral in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, the claimants Kate McCann and Gerald McCann are completely destroyed, from a moral, social, ethical, sentimental, family point of view, much beyond the pain that their daughter’s absence causes them.
Not proved.

13. Proved that as a consequence of the affirmations of Gonçalo Amaral in his book, in the documentary and in the interview with Correio da Manha, the claimants felt anger, despair, anxiety, preoccupation, having insomnia and lack of appetite.
According to affirmation 13, the claimants felt permanent anguish, insomnia, lack of appetite, anxiety and irritability, preoccupation and indefinable fear.

14. Proved that the couple feel badly about being considered responsible for hiding their daughter's body and simulating her abduction by those who believe in defendant Gonçalo Amaral's thesis on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

According to affirmation 14, the claimants feel a deep shame and an indescribable ill-being because they are considered, by most people who know the theories of the defendant Gonçalo Amaral, as having responsibility in the death of their daughter, being so cowardly that they have hidden her cadaver, simulating abduction, all of this to avoid criminal accusations.

15. Proved that the couple feel with much concern the necessity to keep their younger children away from finding out about said thesis.

According to affirmation 15, the claimants live under enormous daily pressure due to the need to keep their younger children away from the knowledge of the defendant Gonçalo Amaral’s opinions about their moral integrity.

16. Namely because of defendant Gonçalo Amaral’s statements in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, claimant Kate McCann is immersed in a deep and serious depression, which has already made her state publicly I wish I was in a coma, to relieve the pain.
Not proved.

17. Proved that Sean and Amelie started school in August of 2010, not having learned about defendant Gonçalo Amaral's thesis yet.

According to affirmation 17, Sean and Amelie MacCann will soon become aware of the conclusions that are mentioned in the process, because they will go to school.

18. 63.369 copies of the DVD were not sold, having been destroyed afterwards. Proved.

19. Proved that defendant Gonçalo Amaral's retirement from the PJ started on July 1st, 2008.
According to affirmation 19 the date is 1.6.2008.

20. Proved that the Attorney General’s Office released a note for the media on the 21st of June of 2008 (corrected by the judge in the final sentence), announcing the archiving of the inquiry on the facts and informing that it could be reopened on the MP’s initiative or at the request of someone concerned, if new evidence appeared that would prompt serious, relevant and consequent diligences.

According to the affirmation 20, the date is 22.6.2008 (in fact 22.7.2008).

21. The criminal inquiry was reopened due to the appearance of new evidence.
Not proved.

22. The attention of the media and of people in general diminished when defendant Gonçalo Amaral’s book was published.
Not proved.

23. Proved that the book sales were in part done by consignment (deposit) and partly firmly sold with a right to return copies for various motives like production fault, damage of fabrication or rough handling or remaining unsold.
According to affirmation 23, the sale was only on consignment, being subject to devolution for various reasons, like handling, manufacturing defects or their non-transaction.

24. The so-called “Maddie Case” has been profoundly treated within the Portuguese and foreign society, whether by the media, or through books, like those authored by Paulo Pereira Cristóvão, Manuel Catarino and Hernâni Carvalho.
Proved.

25. The so-called “Maddie Case” was commented upon by Dr. Francisco Moita Flores, former inspector, writer, criminalist and commentator, in various media.
Proved.

26. For unknown reasons, this article is by-passed, though there is an affirmation 26 :
Have the claimants Kate MacCann and Gerald MacCann hired communication firms and spokespeople through Madeleine’s Fund ?

27. and 28. Proved that the facts referred to in the book, in the interview do Correio da Manhã and in the documentary concerning the investigation are mostly facts that occurred and are documented in that investigation.
The affirmation 27 concerns only the book and the interview, whereas the allegation 28 questions the only presence, in the documentary, of facts that are also in the inquiry files.

29. After a deliberation on October 27th 2008 the capital of VC Filmes was increased, and registered on September 28th 2009, the effect of which being that the capital of that firm was now detained in a proportion of 60% by Estúdios Valentim de Carvalho, Gravações e Audiovisuais SA and of 40% by Fundo de Investimento para o Cinema e o Audiovisual.
Proved.

30. Proved that on June 6th 2008 the defendant VC Filmes agreed to yield to VC Multimedia the rights to commercialize, distribute, exhibit and broadcast several cinematographic and audiovisuals works (films, mini-series and documentaries) that were to be produced within 5 years.

The affirmation 30 uses again "sell" instead of "commercialize" and, instead of "several... within 5 years", mentions "all of the cinematographic and audiovisual work that it creates, develops and produces".

31. Until today the documentary has been reproduced only once to be edited, published and sold in Portugal under video format, in this case a DVD.
Proved.

32. The reproduction and edition of the documentary in video format have been authorised by Valentim de Carvalho Multimédia SA to Presslivre, Imprensa Livre SA, owned by the newspaper Correio da Manhã, according to a contract between both.
Proved.

33. The DVD, its covers and packages would be, as they were, manufactured on behalf of, under order of and under the responsibility of Presslivre, in order to be distributed and sold together with newspaper Correio da Manhã.
Proved.

34. The entire process of registering and classifying the video edition (DVD) of the documentary with ICAG would be, as it was, developed by Valentim de Carvalho Multimédia, the cost of the process being carried by Presslivre, as it did.
Proved.

35. Proved only that the documentary was distributed for sale together with the distribution for sale of the newspaper Correio da Manhã.

According to affirmation 35, the distribution for sale took place in conjunction with the distribution for sale of the newspaper Correio da Manhã’s edition of April 24, 2009.

36. The documentary was reproduced, and even subtitled in the English language, by third parties that published it on the internet, without permission and against the will of the defendant Valentim de Carvalho – Filmes, Audiovisuais SA.
Proved.

37. Illicit diffusion damages not only the rights that are held by defendant Valentim de Carvalho – Filmes, Audiovisuais SA over the documentary, but also its commercial exploration, because any citizen can watch the documentary, also only one “click” away.
Proved.

Motivations for the decisions -- Documents of reference 

The positive and restrictive answers above (the 37 articles) result from the critical and conjoined analysis of all the documented evidence, through images and sound recordings (especially of the DVD), witness statements and other declarations, increasing the value, in particular, of the elements of proof that further will be mentioned particularly according to the order of the respective answers.

In terms of general considerations, it is important to mention the documents that were joined to the Autos (the main ones and the unnamed providência cautelar ("injunction") and were most pertinent for the building of the conviction. Those are :

 

a) Quote of the original of the July 24 2008 Correio da Manhã article that contains the interview of GA mentioned – pp. (93-98 of the injunction (providência cautelar, PC) 

b) Copy of the April 15 2009 Público article with mention of the number of TV spectators who watched the documentary broadcasting – in p. 130 of the PC. 

c) Quote of the Noticias TV mentioning the audience for the same documentary – p. 132 of the PC. 

d) Copy of the report concerning the shelving of the investigation (n°201/07.0GALGS) – pp. 144-173 of the PC. 

e) Publicity for the launching of the book on 24 of July – p. 371 of the PC. 

f) Contract "Option of rights Deal Memo" between Gonçalo Amaral and defendant VC Filmes on March 7 2008 – pp. 422-23 of the PC.

g) "General Contract on distribution" between VC Filmes and Valentim de Carvalho Multimédia on June 6 2008 and "Addition for TV productions" on February 28 2009 – pp. 916-24 of the PC.

h) "Contract for Videograms distribution" between Valentim de Carvalho Multimédia SA and Presselivre SA on March 31 2009 – pp. 1047-53 of the PC.

i) "Contract for transfer of copyright" between Guerra&Paz and Gonçalo Amaral on March 10 2008 – pp.277-281 of the principal process (PP).

j) Copy of the "Communiqué for the media" from the Procuradoria-Geral da República (the Public Ministry) dated July 21 2008 – p. 538 of the PP.

k) Information from the PJ, dated January 18 2012, stating that up to this date the claimants had not requested the reopening of the investigation – p.1037 of the PP.

l) Information from Marktest Audimetria SA about the TV audience of the documentary – p. 1045 of the PP.

m) Information from the PJ about the date on which defendant Gonçalo Amaral retired (July 1 2008) – p.1046 of the PP.

n) Information from Presselivre SA concerning the DVD's sale price (6,95 tax included) – p. 1047 of the PP.

o) Copies of receipts issued by defendant Gonçalo Amaral for defendant Guerra&Paz that amount to € 307.900,69 – pp. 1054-56 of the PP.

p) Copies of receipts issued by the same defendant for VC Filmes that amount to € 36.000 – pp. 1085-87 of the PP.

q) Information from the PJ dated January 13 2012 about the processing of the matter having an inquiry potential after the shelving of the investigation – p. 116 of the PP.

r) Information from the PJ dated May 30 2012 about the same topic – pp. 1292-94 of the PP.

s) Information from defendant Guerra&Paz about the sale price of the book – p. 1368 of the PP.

t) Act nb 3 of the Shareholders General Assembly of defendant VC Filmes and Registration Certificate of that same company – pp. 1819-40 of the PP.

u) Invoices issued by Valentim de Carvalho Multimédia for Presselivre SA – pp.1841-42 of the PP.

v) Declaration of VASP about the sending for destruction of 63.369 copies of the DVD – p. 1843 of the PP.

4) Angus McBride – lawyer, assisted and represented the claimants, counselling them about the criminal investigation, the relationship with the Portuguese lawyers and being an auxiliary in "the media cover" issue. He is a specialist in criminal law and relations with the media. His statement was practically all constituted by opinions, especially about the impact of the book on public opinion in the UK.


5) Alan Robert Pike – having a bachelor's degree in social sciences, he was contracted by the tour operator of the claimants' holiday company and then, at the end of 2007, by the claimants for psychological help. He stated that the publication of the book and its conclusions brought anxiety to the claimants and that one of the more devastating effects was, for them, believing that the book would influence the public opinion, inducing people to stop searching for Madeleine. He affirmed that Kate MC told him that she had spent many days crying because of the injustice meant by the publication of the book. He said that when she saw the documentary she was even more devastated. He described the claimants as "angry, frustrated and desperate at not being able to do anything". Asked about the claimants' feelings after being made arguidos, he stated that, somehow paradoxically, they were confused for not having been made arguidos earlier, whereas they were prepared for it, and that this fact didn't traumatize them. Once more, because this person worked for the claimants, his statement is subject to a special critical evaluation of credibility and must be supported by other statements or securely based on common experience rules.


6) João Mechior Gomes – now Attorney General Deputy, he was invited on September 10 2007 to supervise and coordinate the criminal investigation, a task that he fulfilled up to November 8/9 2010. He stated that up to when his function ceased the investigation wasn't reopened, being one of the signatories of the shelving report. He didn't transmit any other pertinent information.

7) Ana Claudia Nogueira Santos Fernandes – she worked for the claimants between September 2009 and August 2011 on their relationship with the media. She denied that the attention of the media and the public diminished with the publication of the book, affirming that between 2009 and 2011 about 3000 news articles were published "very much focused on the book's opinion". She said also that the documentary circulated on the Web, with English subtitles.


8.) Michael Terence Wright – married to a cousin of Kate MC, he has known her since he was 10. He stated that the claimants first reacted to the book with "much anger" and that before the book there were already "chats" on the Web that speculated about the disappearance and mentioned the thesis of death and cover up. The credibility of his statement is obscured by the fact that he was accompanied, when he appeared in court, in company of (sic) handwritten notes (p. 1164 of the deeds) which appear, in order according to an almost perfect time-line, the topics of reply to the questions that were made to him during the hearing.


9.) Brigid Patricia Cameron – sister of Gerald MC, she arrived in Portugal on the Saturday following the disappearance, having stayed there for 3 months and then helped to "bring" the family back to the UK. She was very close to the claimants, revealing a detailed knowledge of their emotions and state of mind, although the familial proximity advises corroboration of her statement with others or with the common experience rules. She affirmed that, when the book was published, people started to care and the pain was felt by all the family. She stated that Kate's mood was very low and that she couldn't deal with daily life, she ran long distances and prayed every day. She stated that the claimants were sad when they were made arguidos, but that the publication of the book was different, they "dehumanized themselves". She affirmed that the twins entered school in August, 3 years and a half back, when they were 5 years old.


10) Henrique Romão da Silva Leite Machado – journalist at the Correio da Manhã since 2005, he is the author of the interview included in this trial. He confirmed that the affirmations attributed to defendant Gonçalo Amaral in this interview are his, adding that they were recorded.


11) Eduardo José Campos Dâmaso – deputy director of the same journal, he confirmed the authenticity of the declarations attributed to the defendant, affirming that no complaint was interjected about an eventual lack of rigour. He denied the veracity of the fact mentioned in article 22 (Unproved – The attention of the media and of people in general diminished when defendant Gonçalo Amaral’s book was published) and confirmed the content of article 24 (Proved – The so-called “Maddie Case” has been profoundly treated within the Portuguese and foreign society, whether by the media, or through books).

13) Ricardo Manuel Gonçalves Paiva – colleague and friend of defendant Gonçalo Amaral, he was a member of the criminal investigation team right from the very beginning up to the shelving. He confirmed the communiqué to the media referred to in article 20 and affirmed that up to this date the investigation wasn't reopened. He affirmed that the death of the child was a hypothesis in the investigation and that quite a long time after the publication of the book a "working group" was created to review the investigation and accompany the solicitations of the UK police.


14) Luis Antonio Trindade Nunes das Neves – director of a national unit of the PJ specialized in crimes of sequestration crimes with hostages, he is also a friend of defendant Gonçalo Amaral. He took part in the investigation and stated that, after the shelving, information was still collected about the disappearance, referring that the parents were the ones who first mentioned the child's death hypothesis when they suggested to send for a South African specialist, equipped with a device for detecting buried bodies.


15) Mario Rui da Silva Sena Lopes – he was the edition director of the defendant Guerra&Paz and is the literary agent of defendant Gonçalo Amaral. He stated that the sale price of the book, tax included, was 13,30 € and that the book wasn't commercialized in Brazil. He affirmed that the copies were sold partly under consignation and partly firmly with right to returning. He confirmed the content of article 24 (see above).


16) Luis Vitorino Torre do Valle Froes – retired, he was the director of VC Multimédia. He stated that the DVD was edited by his firm that only sold it to the Correio da Manhã, this journal being the one to sell it to the public. He claimed that the remaining copies were destroyed, having stated, confronted with the documents pp. 916-1047 of the PC and the documents pp. 1841-43 that he explained. He stated that none of the VC firms (Multimédia or Filmes) was responsible for the diffusion of the documentary on the Web.


17) Antonio Paulo Antunes dos Santos – director of an association for the defence of audiovisual works, he declared that a complaint was filed to the association concerning the reproduction of the documentary on the Web. 

Means of evidence for positive conviction

Respecting the positive conviction (that led the judge to rule the points as proved), follow the means of proof especially relevant (referring to the articles listed in pp. 1-3) :

Art 1. The conviction results from the statements of Henrique Machado and Eduardo Dâmaso (both from the Correio da Manhã), having no reason for doubt.

Art 2. The questioned price is the one mentioned in the "24 horas" newspaper, copied in p. 116. The proved price is the one that results from the information given by defendant Guerra&Paz, at the requirement of the claimants, in p. 1368, attributed to it more rigour and confirmed by information from one of the major booksellers, the Fnac – pp. 1377-1440.

Art 3, 4 and 7. Informations provided by the Fiscal Administration (p. 2095) were here taken into consideration. They indicate an amount superior to the sum of the receipts annexed to the deeds, being, comparatively, of greater credibility.

Art 6. Was considered jointly with the document of the PC (pp. 1047-53), in particular the third clause, nb 1 of this contract, and the content of the information provided by Presselivre SA (p. 1047 of the principal process).

Art 8. The conviction resulted from the combination of the contract reproduced in pp. 923-24 of the PC and the statement of witness Luis Froes.

Art 10. The fact is sufficiently shaped in the information provided by Marktest Audimetria SA, being moreover supported in the news – pp. 130-32 of the PC.

Art 13. The answer to the content of the articles 12 and 13 can't abstract itself from the affirmation (considered elementary from the common experience rules) that, more than any theory or opinion about the causes of the disappearance of Madeleine Beth McCann, the fact of her disappearance overwhelms, with negative effects, the emotional/psychological state of the claimants, her parents. This negative emotional state pre-exists to the book, the documentary and the interview included in this trial and must not be confused with the specific psychological consequences of these concrete events (the matter at stake in this trial).
So, if it is not credible, within this larger frame (not even evidence was brought reaching it), that any state of (emotional) destruction of the claimants was caused by the book, the documentary or the interview, it is also not possible, in light of a reasonable reading of the statements provided and the rules of the life experience, to consider these events as absolutely neutral or innocuous.

From those same rules of common experience and considering the meaning of the thesis developed in the book, the documentary and the interview, the diffusion of this thesis and the statements provided by Susan Hubbard, Alan Pike and Patricia Cameron, as well as the declarations of the claimants in court, it looks solid to affirm, as it is done in the decision, that the claimants felt, as a consequence of those events (the matter that originated this trial), anger, despair and anxiety. It is yet supported by evidence that the claimants experienced worry (for fearing, according to various witnesses, that the thesis of the book would affect the efforts to find their daughter) and suffered insomnia and lack of appetite as it is reported in witnesses' statement.

Art 14. It is not possible to assume what most people were thinking when reading or watching the thesis of defendant Gonçalo Amaral about the disappearance. This thesis doesn't, according to what is thought, affirm that the claimants had "responsibilities in the death of their daughter", but rather that they had responsibilities in the concealment of her body. In the declarations of parties* the MC themselves refuted the shame that is subliminal in the point. This feeling of shame also doesn't fit with the strong character that the people closest to them acknowledge in them. One more time, appealing to common experience allows however to affirm that the claimants feel unease by being considered as the authors of their daughter's body concealment and of a simulated abduction.

Transl. Note * The new version of the CPC (Código de Processo Civil) allows claimants and defendants to make a declaration in Court, as long as they request it on time. The main idea is to grant them a possibility to confess in front of the judge, since usually in civil trials only witnesses are heard. Had the MCs asked on time the judge couldn't refuse.

Art 15. The fact is also patrimony of common experience and was largely corroborated by David Trickey's statement.

Art 17. The statements of D. Trickey and of the aunt of the twins, Patricia Cameron were taken into account.

Art 18. The decision results from the combination of the information in p. 1843 and the statement of Luis Froes.

Art 19. The fact was extracted from the information provided by the PJ in p. 1046.

Art 20. Was considered the content of the "Communiqué for the media", p. 536.

Art 23. The statement of Mario Sena Lopes was taken into account.

Art 24. The media diffusion of the case is a notorious fact and is patent in the different extracts of newspapers, blogs and sites joined to the deeds. The publication of the referred books was confirmed specifically by Eduardo Dâmaso and Mario Sena Lopes.

Art 25. The fact was confirmed by Francisco Moita Flores and is documented in the deeds.

Art 27 and 28. The decision concerning this issue faces, firstly, the problem of the dichotomy between "facts ascertained during the investigating process" and "facts that also are part of the investigating process". If “acts ascertained in the investigation" refers to those which, with rigour and according to the procedural-penal dogma, are the result of the investigation that was achieved, then only one deserves this qualification – the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
(Continuing on p. 11)

(Art 27 and 28 continuing) All that is part of the investigation, beyond this fact, are clues, means of evidence*, means of obtaining evidence** and theses or hypotheses that are proper to an investigation shelved for lack of evidence. It will therefore be understood that, when are put together the “facts ascertained in the investigation” and the “facts that are part of the investigation”, it is referred to means of obtaining evidence, means of evidence and clues that constitute the proper investigation and are documented in the inquiry.

Being so, from the reading of the book and the watching of the documentary it can be inferred that defendant Gonçalo Amaral uses in most of his affirmations facts that effectively occurred and were documented in the criminal investigation (in the version available in these autos). Some of the used facts aren't complete (for example, from the statement of Martin Smith – 6th volume of the investigation, p.1606 – is missing (in the book) the part where the witness affirms that the person whom he saw carry a child in his arms didn't do it in a "comfortable way, showing not being accustomed to it") and other facts produced in the book and documentary aren't documented in the process (v.g. the instructions that GA gave to the emergency guard when he learnt about the disappearance, p. 37 of the book ; the affirmation attributed to the parents that the flat showed signs of breaking-in, p. 44 of the book ; the irritation behaviour of Kate MC with the speed of the car, p. 55 of the book ; the hypothesis of a reconstitution of the facts discussed in the middle of May, p. 94 of the book ; the “ informal” identification of Robert Murat by Jane Tanner in p. 108 of the book).

Transl. note * The elements that allow to affirm the reality of facts that are pertinent concerning the existence or non existence of a crime. For example a reconstruction, a confrontation of two contradictory statements, etc.

Transl. note ** The diligences realized by the authorities to gather evidence. For example phone listening, laptop analysing, etc.

Art 29. The decision is based on the combination of the documents in pp. 1819-40 of the deeds.

Art 30. The contract reproduced in pp. 916-22 of the PC was referred to.

Art 31. The statement of Luis Froes was taken into account, in the absence of evidence to contradict it.

Art 32-34. The contract reproduced in pp. 1047-53 of the PC and Luis Froes' statement were considered as well as the invoices reproduced in pp. 1841-42 of the deeds.

Art 35. The fact is corroborated by the content of the contract celebrated with Presslivre and resulted also from witness evidence.

Art 36. The statements of Luis Froes and Antonio dos Santos were taken into account being the facts are consistent with the common experience.

Art 37. The fact is patrimony of common experience. 

Elements for negative conviction

The negative decisions (unproved) and the undemonstrated part of the restrictive decisions (those reformulated by the judge to fit to "demonstrated facts") result from the insufficiency of the evidence produced for reaching a secure conviction or from the circumstance that the corresponding facts had been refuted, considering the reasons presented before and those that now follow :

Art 5. Apart from what appears on p. 253 of the PC regarding the publicity for the book made on a Brazilian website in the "imported books" section, no evidence was brought and the witness Mario Sena Lopes denied that the defendant had commercialized the book in Brazil.

Art 9. This fact was not proved and was denied by the witness Luis Froes.

Art 11. The affirmation, that is refuted by the information provided by the PJ in pp. 1116-1292, points besides a not very plausible actuation of that criminal police organ, contradicting the principle of the criminal process' notoriety.

Art 12. It was not proved that the claimants are destroyed from a moral, social and ethical point of view. From the family point of view, Patricia Cameron's statement reveals a successful effort of cohesion and mutual assistance. From the sentimental/emotional point of view it is not credible that the sequels of the facts of these deeds reach the point of destruction much beyond the pain already caused by the disappearance of the claimants' daughter.

Art 16. It is not possible, from the perspective of the available evidence, to discriminate among those alleged facts those that are consequences of Madeleine's disappearance and those that were induced by the book/documentary/interview.

Art. 21. No documented evidence was produced, by certificate of the criminal process, revealing the veracity of that fact.

Art 22. The affirmation was copiously hackneyed by proved facts.

 

End of "a materia de prova".

In law, the proof (a prova) is any means to convince the judges about the truth of a fact. "A prova" provides the elements thanks to which the judges may form a conviction about the pertinent facts on which they will base their judgement.