DETAINED: Ex-minister Pedroso, left, said he was a victim of calumny
When a powerful politician was ar-rested last week in connection with the child-abuse scandal that has rocked Portugal since last November, it brought hope that the country's creaky, excruciatingly slow justice system was finally getting into gear. The detention of Paulo Pedroso, Socialist M.P. and former minister, was hailed by lawyers and commentators as a sign that the wealthy and influential were no longer untouchable. And so what if the police used investigating techniques that might be deemed unacceptable in other countries? Although not commenting on the merits of particular arrests, Lisbon lawyer Francisco O'Neill Marques says, "Rich and powerful people...
