The defense of the minister of the (Superior Court of Justice) said he saw “civilizational regression” in what he called “an attempt to judge and condemn a person even before the formal start of an investigation”.
The magistrate is the target of an investigation in court and an investigation by the CNJ (National Council of Justice) after an 18-year-old girl, while on vacation in Balneário Caboriú (SC). The case was registered as sexual harassment at the council.
He denies that the episode occurred and, in a statement released this Friday (6), his lawyers ask for serenity and respect for due legal process, in addition to criticizing leaks of information about the case.
A Sheet showed this Thursday (5) that the complainant told the São Paulo Civil Police that the magistrate took her to an isolated area of a beach, touched her without consent and then touched her. She was staying with her parents at the minister’s beach house.
Buzzi, 68, is on leave from court for health reasons and denies the allegations. He was admitted to DF Star, in Brasília, this Thursday (5), one day after the CNJ confirmed that he is the target of representation.
“Instant leaks of confidential information about unverified facts is a sordid trick”, says this Friday’s note, signed by lawyers Joao Costa, João Pedro Mello and Maria Fernanda Saad. “Courts, with experienced magistrates and rites refined over centuries, cannot be replaced by ‘judges’ and inflammatory and almost always anonymous opinions in the news.”
They also state that the defense is waiting for the opportune moment to clarify the facts and present their evidence.
STJ ministers heard by the Sheet state that Buzzi is compulsorily retired from the court following the conclusion of an internal investigation.
Buzzi presented his defense to his peers in a secret court session on Wednesday (4). Speaking at the beginning of the meeting, he denied the accusations, saying that he was taken by surprise by the accusation and that he did not know why the 18-year-old girl, daughter of a couple of friends, would be doing that. He hesitated about the girl’s name, which caused some of the ministers to be surprised.
See the full note:
It is unacceptable to attempt to judge and condemn a person before the formal start of an investigation.
Instant leaks of confidential information about unverified facts is a nasty trick.
Courts, with experienced magistrates and rites refined over centuries, cannot be replaced by “judges” and inflammatory and almost always anonymous opinions in the news.
It is not enough to ask for serenity and respect for due legal process.
The defense awaits the opportune moment to clarify the facts and present their evidence.
Joao Costa, João Pedro Mello and Maria Fernanda Saad, lawyers for minister Marco Buzzi
