Brazil: After a year, men charged with massacre in São Paulo not sentenced yet
Relatives and friends remember the 19 victims on one-year anniversary of the killings, known as the massacre of Osasco and Barueri, municipal areas where the attacks happened, in Greater São Paulo.
This Saturday (Aug. 13), relatives and friends remember the 19 victims on one-year anniversary of the killings, known as the massacre of Osasco and Barueri, municipal areas where the attacks happened, in Greater São Paulo. The killings were allegedly committed in revenge for the murder of a police agent and a civil guard days before.
Until now, only four defendants—three police agents and a civil guard—were reported to the state court for murder and they were taken to jail. However, the court has not ruled yet whether the case will be shelved or brought to jury trial. They all denied the responsibility for the crimes.
Prosecutor Marcelo Oliveira was appointed by the public defender's office for the case as prosecution assistant. Interviewed by Agência Brasil, he said he will bring the case for trial, and the judge will decide. "I will explain the prosecution's reasons for believing that they should be brought to jury trial," he said.
If the judge in charge of the case accepts the case, they will be brought to jury trial. The prosecution expects the decision to be made in about three months.
For the prosecutor, the challenge will be to convince the jury, since most cases involving military police agents were acquitted in Osasco, because "society tends to find the agents' conduct tolerable, because police agents would be killing the bad guys."
However, the prosecutor points out that some of the victims had no connection with crime.
In addition to the process in the court, this Thursday (11), the public defender's office submitted to São Paulo State prosecution office the compensation requests for the victims' families.
In a note, the defense counsel said they " continue the negotiations to grant them the compensation, in order to avoid the trial for these cases."
"I hope that justice listen to us, listen to these families because [this crime] was an atrocity. They killed for no reason, for nothing. They just arrived and killed them, I see no reason for such barbarity, such an atrocity. I cannot understand, but I think justice has to listen to us, to correct their mistake," said Aparecida Assunção, mother of Leandro Pereira Assunção, 36, murdered while sitting in a bar in Osasco. He was a father of three, had an 18-year old brother, lived with his mother and worked as an industrial mechanic. His father had died a month before. "There's a family behind them. They killed our sons, and they also killed us. They ended our lives," said Assunção with a broken voice.
Deivison Lopes Ferreira, 26, resident of Osasco, was hit by eight shots in the back and was instantly killed. One of the shots hit the young man's nape. He temporarily worked in a loading shed. The young man suffered the same fate of his father, who was killed when Deivison was 9 years old. The investigation at the time revealed no guilty person and the crime continues unsolved. "I rescued my father when he was shot. Many years later, it happened to my brother. I don't even know which one was worse for me," noted Henrique, Deivison's brother.
Leandro Pereira Assunção, 36, murdered while sitting in a bar in Osasco. He was a father of three, had an 18-year old brother, lived with his mother and worked as an industrial mechanic.
Defense
The four people charged with the massacre have denied their responsibility. Military police agent Fabrício Emmanuel Eleutério said he was at his girlfriend's house when the massacre happened and that he heard about the events after receiving a call from his lawyer, and went back home.
Civil guard Sérgio Manhanhã said he was on duty from 3 pm to midnight. About the interval between the deaths, he claimed that he was patrolling an area distant from the places where the crimes happened.
The other military police agent, Thiago Barbosa Heinklain, said he left the battalion after his working hours, and went home. According to him, he was with his family at the time of the attacks.
On the other hand, military police agent Vitor Cristilder Silva dos Santos said he stood at the battalion until up to 10.30 pm, although his working hours ended between 6 pm and 7 pm. According to the police officer, he decided to wait a little longer in the battalion because he had asked Manhanhã to lend him a book and he would take it to the battalion.
Although they deny the crime, prosecutor Marcelo Oliveira says there is evidence against them and they were identified by witnesses, including a victim who survived the massacre and is under a witness protection program.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Brazil: After a year, men charged with massacre in São Paulo not sentenced yet
