In the first session of the trial, Mariana Fonseca agreed to give statements to the Court of Portimão, as long as the other defendant, Maria Malveiro, leave the room, a request that the court accepted.

Before the panel of judges, Mariana, a 24-year-old nurse, said she had nothing to do with the death of 21-year-old Diogo Gonçalves, and that if she could “go back” she would have done “many things in a way different".

The defendant acknowledged, however, that she participated in the concealment of Diogo's corpse - whose remains were found in Sagres and Tavira -, but claimed to have been convinced by the other defendant to do it.