What happened
Luísa de Jesus was accused of taking abandoned infants from Coimbra’s foundling system for the payments and goods provided to caregivers and then killing many of the children.
The investigation
Authorities investigated after a pattern of missing infants and discovered evidence linking her to numerous deaths. Contemporary records describe confessions and a prosecution involving dozens of children.
What the courts or investigators concluded
She was convicted and executed in 1772, becoming the last woman judicially executed in Portugal.
Why the case remains significant
The case is historically significant because it exposes vulnerabilities in early foundling-care systems and the limited safeguards surrounding children placed with paid caregivers.
Case context
Crime by Region organizes cases geographically so readers can move from one file to other investigations from the same country. For unresolved or contested cases, the wording above reflects the distinction between confirmed events, investigative theories and findings actually established in court.