The president of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), Luís Roberto Barroso, said on Friday, 28, that Brazilians went from the “indignation to the penalty” by commenting on the case of Débora Rodrigues, the protester who became known for pecking the statue in front of the Supreme, during the scammers of January 8, 2023.
“Brazil has the characteristic that, when the episodes happen, people have a deep indignation. And then, as time goes by, they will be sorry. We went from indignation to penalty,” Barroso said after giving a magna class to students from Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ).
The hairdresser wrote “lost, Mané” in the statue during the scammer acts. The phrase refers to Barroso’s response to pockets who harassed him during a trip to the United States after the 2022 election. Deborah in a statement to the STF said he acted “in the heat of the moment” and did not know the statue’s symbolic and financial value.
For the minister, “the non -punishment of this episode may make it seem that, in the next election, someone can preach the overthrow of the elected government and can invade public buildings.”
“It is not good for the country that prevails this kind of vision. No one likes to punish, but punishment is inevitable. If it will compute penalty later, it is another discussion,” Barroso said referring to convictions to those involved in the scammers.
On Monday, 24, Minister Luiz Fux. Fux explained that he needs more time to analyze the penalty dosimetry and signaled that he may suggest a reduction. To date, the rapporteur of the case, Alexandre de Moraes, and Minister Flávio Dino voted for the defendant’s conviction to 14 years in prison in an initially closed regime.
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The Supreme Court has already condemned 503 involved in the coup acts of January 8, 2023. The sentences reach incited inciters, executors and financiers of the headquarters of the three powers in Brasilia, and result from 1,586 criminal actions opened since the beginning of investigations, according to court data.
The first class of the court also made former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and seven other defendants for attempted coup.
According to Barroso, the judgment of the case has been conducted “in the strictest legal process”. The minister stated that, ideally defendants should be tried later this year, but stressed that due process of law is above the electoral calendar.
