Ministers of the (Superior Court of Justice) state that he should be removed as a result of the accusation of sexual harassment against him. The tendency is for the members of the court to vote in a majority for the minister to be compulsorily retired from the court after the conclusion of an investigation.
Buzzi presented his defense to his peers in a secret court session this 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.
Eight of the 29 voting ministers were against opening the inquiry. The court comprises 33 magistrates.
A Sheet heard from four magistrates who were present at the meeting on Wednesday and who discussed the topic with their peers over the last two days.
After his speech, the minister left the session before the end. This Thursday (5), he was admitted to the DF Star hospital, in Brasília, and presented a medical certificate to the court. According to the STJ, there is no forecast for an increase.
Still this Thursday, he gave a new statement to the CNJ in which he confirmed and detailed the previous accusations.
Before Wednesday’s session began, there was an agreement among the magistrates so that the result on whether or not to open proceedings against Buzzi would be declared unanimously, to avoid exposing the magistrates.
There were disagreements. The wing opposing the initiation of the investigation argued that the measure would be premature and that it would be better to await the conclusions of the criminal investigation, which is being processed at the (Supreme Federal Court) under the report of the minister, and the administrative procedure already underway at the (National Council of Justice).
Administrative processes result in compulsory retirement. In this scenario, Buzzi would lose his position as minister, but would continue to receive his earnings. In the STF, a possible conviction for the crime of sexual harassment can result in a custodial sentence — from one to five years — and the loss of that pension.
Behind the scenes at the STJ, the situation is classified as “the worst possible” for Buzzi, as a minister told Sheet. This judge highlighted that he did not see “a climate for impunity”. This perception is heightened by the fact that the victim’s mother is a lawyer known and respected by the legal community, with good experience at the STJ. The case is considered unprecedented in court.
The expectation of the STJ leadership is that the inquiry will be concluded within 30 days. Ministers Antônio Carlos Ferreira, Isabel Gallotti and Raul Araújo were selected to conduct the investigation. The court wants to decide the future of one of its ministers for itself, without “outsourcing” this to the CNJ.
the young woman’s family was staying at Buzzi’s beach house, on the coast of Santa Catarina. She went to take a swim in the sea when the minister was already in the water. He reportedly tried to grab her, but she managed to break free. Soon after, he narrated what happened to his parents. Everyone left the house. A police report was registered.
In a statement, Buzzi reported that “he was surprised by the content of the insinuations” and that these allegations “do not correspond to the facts”. The minister said that he “repudiates any and all conclusions that he committed an improper act.” The family’s defense says it awaits “rigor in the investigations and the respective outcome before the competent bodies”.
The CNJ reported that the case is being processed by the National Justice Inspectorate under secrecy, as required by law, “to preserve the privacy and integrity of the victim, in addition to avoiding undue exposure and revictimization.” In a statement, he said that the statements had already been taken on Wednesday morning.
The 68-year-old minister has been at the court since 2011. Previously, he was a judge in Santa Catarina.
