Brazil police charge seven with gang rape of minor
The crime took place last month and drew international attention.
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro reported that seven people have been charged with the gang rape of a teenage girl. The crime took place last month in a Rio de Janeiro favela and drew international attention. The announcement was made today (Jun. 17).
Police Commissioner Cristiana Bento, the law enforcement agent in charge of the special police station for child and adolescent victims, requested the preventive arrest of those held accountable for the rape, and submitted the case to the Public Prosecution Service. The probes, however, will continue, as authorities will further work to locate other perpetrators of the crime that sparked outrage on social media following the release of footage showing the teenage girl during the attack.
The inquiry was concluded after the indictment of Raí de Souza and Raphael Duarte Belo for the crimes of statutory rape and the production and release of pornographic material with a minor. Also indicted were an underage male, on similar charges, as well as Moisés Camilo de Lucena and Sérgio Luiz da Silva, for statutory rape. In addition, Michel Brasil and Marcelo Miranda answer charges for having released the footage.
Bento stated that the investigative work done by the police experts on Raí de Souza's cellphone was instrumental in ascertaining the role of each of the charged. More footage and conversations were found recorded on the device, in which the charged are seen deciding what each of them was to tell the police.
Police Commissioner Cristiana Bento
Cristina Bento says she expects the charged to be given “exemplary sentences.” “It should serve as an example for society, which must no longer see women as a thing, but rather someone who should be respected. Having sex with a teenager or woman who is not conscious and is in no condition to offer resistance is a crime,” she declared.
The police commissioner went on to say that the case made society think about the concept of rape and rape culture. “Rape culture puts the blame on the victim or absolve the aggressor of his guilt, acquitting him as a sick person or a psychopath,” she noted.
*EBC radio reporter Ligia Souto contributed to this article.
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Brazil police charge seven with gang rape of minor
