The homophobic image of an LGBT flag on fire was published before the young man joined the PSP officers' course, a fact that proved essential for the Supreme Administrative Court to annul the PSP's expulsion decision. The young cadet had also published messages associated with Group 1143, a far-right group.
The court considered that the publication of these images occurred outside the service context and before the start of his training as an officer, which weighed significantly in the judicial decision. The reporting judge based his position using quotations from Marcelo Caetano, the last President of the Council of Ministers of the Estado Novo regime, in an argument that has already drawn criticism from LGBT rights organizations.
The ruling orders the cadet to remain in the PSP, thus overturning the disciplinary sanction of expulsion that had been applied by the corporation. This case comes at a time when Portuguese security forces have been under scrutiny regarding diversity and inclusion issues.
