Counselor of the (National Council of Justice) Renata Gil sent a letter to the president of Nacional (Brazilian Bar Association) this Monday (18) to report the existence of a complaint against one of the candidates for the .
She states that the National Justice Ombudsman’s Office received a complaint “referring to acts of domestic violence allegedly committed by Mr. Leonardo Sica” and is forwarding it “for evaluation of the adoption of the measures it deems appropriate.”
The lawyer mentioned in the letter as the author of the complaint supports an opposition party on her social media profile.
was accused in 2010 by his then wife of having assaulted her in the middle of a separation process. She filed a police report, but the case ended up going no further. The episode has been exploited by the opposition during the campaign.
In view of this, Sica filed a criminal complaint against a member of a rival party at OAB-SP and even went to court. After having the urgent request denied by the first instance judge, Sica filed a request to withdraw the action.
Renata Gil was appointed advisor to the CNJ in 2024 and is head of the National Women’s Ombudsman’s Office. She is a state judge at the TJ-RJ (Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro). The counselor states that she forwards the complaint “in compliance with the National Judicial Policy to Combat Violence against Women”.
The aforementioned rule highlights the CNJ’s competence to coordinate the elaboration and execution of public policies relating to women in situations of violence “in the legal space of the Judiciary’s powers”.
In a statement, the press office of the national OAB stated that “processes regarding the conduct of lawyers are the responsibility of the sections and are confidential. It is up to the Federal Council to comment only on any appeals that are presented.”
Opposition lawyers have highlighted, as a criticism of Sica’s candidacy, an understanding by the OAB Federal Council of 2019 that even prevents lawyers who have committed domestic violence from registering with the entity.
Sica stated in a statement that the topic is old and has already been explored in the 2018 and 2021 elections for the OAB-SP, repeating the answer given in previous statements on the subject. He reiterates that opponents try to manipulate the situation to their advantage.
“This is an old theme already explored in the 2018 and 2021 elections. Once again, my opponents are trying to resurrect this already overcome point to obtain political-electoral gains, with the sole objective of manipulating the scenario for their own benefit”, stated the vice-president of the São Paulo Order.
