British 13-year-old stabbed to death in Portugal by 'mother's ex' before gas explosion

A 13-year-old British boy has been killed in Portugal after a man, thought to be his Mum's ex-boyfriend, reportedly stabbed him to death before triggering a gas explosion and taking his own life. Authorities say the 13-year-old was stabbed to death in the town of Tomar on Tuesday, and local media reports that the teen passed away at around midday.

The Lusa news agency reports that Portugese police were called to the scene around 12pm, following an alert about domestic violence, and found both the boy and his purported assailant still alive. Tragically the boy died after "despite vital signs being detected", the local police said in a statement. The suspect, who also died shortly after police arrived, is believed to have barricaded himself in the boy's house following the attack before turning on the gas and triggering an explosion that killed him.

It is believed that the teen was attacked by his mother's ex-boyfriend. The child's mother, who is a British national, and a member of the Portugese GNR (National Republican Guard) were injured in the blast. Both have been taken to Tomar Hospital, and the mother is recieving support for "minor physical injuries" and psyhcological help, The Sun reports.

Portugese Cable news channel SIC Notícias reports that the mother called 112 shouted for neighbours to help after allegedly being attacked and then forced out of the house by the man, who remained inside before reportedly assaulting the child with a bladed weapon.

It is unclear if the child died from the stabbing, or the explosion.

The suspect was apparently a regular visitor to the house. Luís Freire, president of the Parish Council of Casais/Alviobeira says that the family had already been flagged by authorities because of previous episodes of domestic violence, according to SIC Notícias.

Luís Freire, president of the Parish Council of Casais/Alviobeira, told SIC Notícias that the case had already been flagged by authorities due to previous episodes of domestic violence, which date back to 2023.