Two men were convicted of raping a vulnerable man in the town of Araquari, north of Santa Catarina. The victim was a girl who is now 12 years old, but she was abused between 2015 and 2019 when she was five years old.

The sentences were the same for both: 18 years and seven months in prison with a closed initial regime – Photo: Disclosure/ND

The rapists are the grandfather and father of the child. The investigation began with the registration of a statement to the police, drawn up by the girl’s aunt, after the victim reported the abuse to her cousin. Through special testimony, the victim told the forensic psychologist that the depraved acts were committed alternately, that is, each informer abused her separately.

The verdict was handed down by Judge Shirley Tamara Colombo de Siqueira Wonkche of the 2nd Araquari Court this week. The sentences for both were the same: 18 years and seven months in prison with an initial close regime.

In the verdict, the magistrate attaches importance to the girl’s report, since the absence of witnesses is typical for this type of crime. She emphasized that “the absence of third parties at the time of the commission of this criminal offense is an essential element in the success of the criminal enterprise, since otherwise the agent would have been detained. Thus, victims are persecuted when there is no one to help them.”

For the judge, from the totality of the case materials, it was proved that the accused practiced indecent acts, except for sexual intercourse, to the detriment of the victim. In addition to the sentences restricting the freedom of the two defendants, the father was found incapable of exercising family authority over the victim in accordance with the provisions of article 92, paragraph II, of the Criminal Code as a result of the conviction.