Rio court orders the arrest of teenager suspected of gang rape

A Children and Youth Court of the Capital of Rio de Janeiro issued this Thursday (5) search and seizure warrant for the teenager involved in the gang rape case against a young woman in an apartment in Copacabana. After the police presented “new elements” on another episode of sexual violence with similar dynamics, the Court decided reverse the initial representation of application of socio-educational measure against the suspect.

“The measure was considered necessary to guarantee public order, given the possible repetition of the infraction and also to ensure the personal safety of the teenager himself, due to the wide social repercussion of the case”, communicated the Public Ministry of the State of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ).

On Tuesday (3), . According to delegate Ângelo Lages, from the 12th Police Station of Copacabana, the cases occurred in October 2023 and October 2025 and are under investigation.

Lages reported that the 2023 victim was 14 years old at the time. She had a relationship with the same teenager involved in the Copacabana case and was lured by him to an apartment in the Maracanã neighborhood. In the property, there were Mattheus Veríssimo Zoel Martins and another boy called Gabriel.

“A report exactly the same as that of the current victim”, declared the delegate who is in charge of the investigations.

A victim of 2025according to Larges, reported having been raped during a student party. She is a student at Colégio Pedro II, where the suspects study. The young woman said she was raped by Vitor Hugo Oliveira Simonim, son of the former state undersecretary of Governance, Compliance and Administrative Management José Carlos Costa Simonim, .

Gang rape in Copacabana

According to investigations, a 17-year-old girl was attracted to a classmate at school (also minor) to an apartment in Copacabana on January 31st of this year. Upon arriving at the location, the young woman noticed the presence of four men. She refused to get involved with thembut was locked in a room.

There, according to authorities, the suspects forced the teenager to have sexual intercourse and subjected her to serious physical and psychological violence. The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro identified and indicted five people:

• Bruno Felipe dos Santos Allegretti18 years old;
• João Gabriel Xavier Berthô19 years old;
• Mattheus Verissimo Zoel Martins19 years old;
• Vitor Hugo Oliveira Simonin18 years old;
• A teenager whose identity was not disclosed.

The Court issued preventive arrest warrants against those involved. On Saturday (28), the police tried to comply with the court order, but were unable to locate the suspects. João Gabriel and Matteus handed themselves in on Tuesday (3), .

The victim, the teenager involved and Vitor Hugo Oliveira Simonin are students at Colégio Pedro II. In a note, the educational institution informed that opened administrative proceedings to expel the indicted students and welcomed the young woman and her family.