Defense of businessman Saul Klein says that “the relationship maintained between the parties was free and consensual”
He made businessman Saul Klein, son of the founder of Casas Bahia, a defendant for 4 crimes that include criminal organization and sexual exploitation of women. The document from the 2nd Criminal Court of Barueri was signed last Monday (May 11, 2026) and remains confidential. The information is from .
According to the decision, Saul Klein, 72 years old, also began to respond for favoring prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation of children, adolescents or vulnerable people.
The businessman’s lawyer, , stated in a note that “the judicial decision, in line with the understanding already partially adopted by the Public Ministry itself, ruled out the charges of rape, false imprisonment and reduction to a condition similar to slavery”.
“In relation to the remaining charges, the judge highlighted the relevance of the defensive thesis that the relationship maintained between the parties was free and consensual, in the context of a dynamic known as sugar daddy and sugar baby [encontros voluntários com vantagens econômicas]noting that the matter must be deepened throughout the procedural instruction”declared the defense.
He concluded by saying that “the defense remains confident that, at the end of the process, all charges will be fully dismissed”.
In December 2020, the program “Fantastic”from TV Globo, details of parties that were allegedly promoted by the businessman.
In May 2021, a video released by UOL showed to silence victims. According to the report, the amount would have been passed on to each of the two women with whom he would have signed a contract.
They frequented a property owned by the son of the founder of Casas Bahia in Barueri, in the metropolitan region of São Paulo.
According to the decision, the statements collected in the case showed the existence of a “reiterated dynamic” of recruiting women and teenagers through promises of work. One of the victims reported that he was recruited between 2011 and 2013 and believed he was participating in “security events”. showroom”.
Reports about the farms attributed to Saul show similarities with practices attributed to his father, Samuel Klein, who died in 2014.
The accusations were revealed in April 2021 by Agência Pública, which spoke to more than 35 people, including lawyers, former Casas Bahia employees and women who say they were victims of abuse.
According to the report, the evidence gathered by the show that, from 1989 to 2010, Samuel allegedly maintained a routine of sexual exploitation of girls aged 9 to 17.
The abuses were allegedly committed at the headquarters of Casas Bahia, in São Caetano do Sul (SP), and in properties located in Baixada Santista and Angra dos Reis (RJ).
Samuel allegedly organized a scheme to recruit and transport girls to properties, where parties were held. In some cases, the meetings were attended by company employees.
In addition to money and products, some girls received basic food baskets to help support their families.
