Almost a year after Rodrigo Lapa's brutal death on scrubland near Portimão, the main suspect in the crime has yet to be questioned by the Judicial Police.
The main suspect, a Brazilian named Joaquim Lara Pinto, took a flight to Brazil a few days after Rodrigo Lapa disappeared.
The 15-year-old disappeared on February 22 last year and his body was found ten days later, just a few metres from the house where he lived with his mother and stepfather.
Rodrigo's mother has denied any involvement in the death of her son, however her statements are riddled with inconsistencies.
The Public Ministry has sent a rogatory letter with a request for cooperation from the Brazilian authorities.
The Judicial Police in Portimão want to interrogate Rodrigo Lapa's stepfathe and police officers were due to fly to Brazil at the end of 2016 but the Brazilian authorities have yet set a date for this part of the investigation.
Joaquim Lara Pinto now lives in Cuiabá in Brazil and voluntarily has made statements to the Brazilian Federal Police. He has handed in his passport while maintaining he is not involved in the death of Rodrigo Lapa.
