Domingos Abrantes Ferreira was born on 19 January 1936 in Vila Franca de Xira in Lisbon, Portugal which was then under Estado Novo regime.

His family moved early on in his life to Poço do Bispo, another part of Lisbon, where he grew up with his four brothers.

Abrantes protested against the reopening of Tarrafal concentration camp in Cape Verde and the Portuguese Colonial war.

[citation needed] Following his escape, he met his future partner, Conceição Matos, who was also a member of the Communist party.

[3] Abrantes was sent back to Caxias for interrogations, before being sent to the headquarters of the International and State Defense Police (PIDE) in Lisbon where he was subjected to sleep torture for 16 days.

When Abrantes was spending his time in jail in Peniche, Matos was not allowed to visit him and they only communicated in coded letters.