Jairo Souza Santos Junior, known as Dr. Jairinho, and Monique Medeiros da Costa e Silva, are defendants in the process that judges the child’s death
The trial of the Henry case, at the 2nd Jury Court of Rio de Janeiro, entered the eighth day in a row this Monday (1st). In this way, the session becomes the longest of the Jury Court in the state of Rio, surpassing that of the impeached federal deputy Flordelis.
In November 2022, the former parliamentarian was sentenced to more than 50 years in prison for the murder of her ex-husband, pastor Anderson do Carmo.
Jairo Souza Santos Junior, known as Dr. Jairinho, and Monique Medeiros da Costa e Silva, are defendants in the case prosecuting the death of her son, Henry Borel, aged 4, in March 2021.
At the time, Jairinho was a councilor, elected in his fifth term. He was Henry’s stepfather. According to the Public Ministry’s indictment, the child died after attacks by Jairinho, and Monique would have remained silent.
IML Expert
Until the beginning of this Monday afternoon, expert Leonardo Huber Tauil, appointed by Jairo’s defense, was testifying. It was Tauil who signed the at the Legal Medical Institute (IML). The expert is the 21st to be heard by the jurors.
He reaffirmed that death was caused by “internal bleeding resulting from liver damage caused by blunt force”. In addition to the initial report, he participated in six complementations, and went to the apartment where the boy was allegedly attacked.
Tauil maintained that, when inspecting the site,Didn’t find any furniture which could have caused Henry’s fatal injury. The first version of the couple Jairinho and Monique was that the boy had tripped and fallen out of bed.
Tauil also responded to issues raised by the defense in the cadaveric report, including the fact that the hospital of origin of the body was wrong and the boy had brown eyes, instead of blue. The expert claimed that there were lapses.
During the testimony, images of Henry’s body were shown. At this moment, Monique Medeiros left the plenary. She had also left the room last Friday (29), when another expert, Luiz Carlos Leal Prestes, was speaking. At the time, images of the body were also shown.
Other testimonies
Since last Monday (25), witnesses called by the court, the prosecution and the defenses of Monique and Jairinho – who are currently position differently.
Henry’s father, Leniel Borel, works to assist the prosecution and testified as a witness against the former couple. In his view, Monique is also responsible for the boy’s death.
Two of Jairinho’s ex-girlfriends and the daughter of one of them told the jury that the former councilor . Engineer Bryan Medeiros da Costa Silva, Monique’s brother, made a affectionate description of the sister and family life.
One of the most anticipated testimonies was that of Henry’s nanny, Thayná de Oliveira Ferreira. She confirmed that she warned the child’s mother about suspected attacks by Jairinho. She stated that after the death, she was advised by Monique to delete the exchange of messages between the two.
Of the 27 witnesses initially listed, four were released. Jairinho dismissed psychiatrist Hewdy Lobo Ribeiro and advisor Cristiane Izidoro. His father, Coronel Jairo, a politician in Rio de Janeiro, was interviewed.
In addition to Tauil, doctor Jeferson Evangelista Correa will also be heardassistant defense coach.
Defendants are scheduled to be heard on Tuesday
The expectation of lawyers involved in the trial is that the testimony of witnesses will end this Monday, and that Tuesday (2) will be reserved for the testimonies of the two accused.
Jairinho’s defense obtained an injunction so that the former councilor can be heard after Monique. For the former parliamentarian’s lawyers, this order of testimony is “indispensable to guarantee the fullness of the defense, allowing Jairo to have prior knowledge of the accusations that will be leveled against him in court”.
Monique’s defense says she is prepared to testify at any time.
The lawyers must present their defenses on Wednesday (3), and the sentence is expected from Wednesday to Thursday (4), Corpus Christi day, a public holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Sentencing Council
Since the jury’s inception, the Sentencing Council, made up of seven jurors (in this trial, five men and two women), continuously follows the sessions. During breaks, they are forced to remain in court, they cannot talk to each other or to third parties about the case, as well as staying away from social media and the news.
During the night, they are under surveillance. At the Rio Court of Justice there is a kind of accommodation for them. To the Witnesses do not need to be confined to the jurybut the judge instructed them not to grant interviews.
O jury is presided over by magistrate Elizabeth Machado Louro. The fate of the defendants is decided by the jurors’ confidential vote, by a simple majority. It is up to the judge to determine the dosimetry (size of the penalty) in cases where there is a conviction.
See the witnesses already heard by the jury:
- Delegate Edson Damasceno
- Delegate Ana Carolina Medeiros
- Psychiatrist Rafael Bernardon Ribeiro
- Doctor Maria Cristina de Souza
- Kaylane de Oliveira – daughter of the defendant’s ex-girlfriend
- Natasha de Oliveira – ex-girlfriend of the defendant
- Débora de Oliveira – ex-girlfriend of the defendant
- Leila Rosângela de Souza Mattos – employee of the defendants
- Tereza Cristina dos Santos – hairdresser
- Paloma dos Santos – manicure
- Expert Luiz Carlos Leal Prestes
- Expert Luiz Airton Saavedra
- Leniel Borel
- Monique’s brother – Bryan Medeiros
- Monique’s co-worker – Ari Mamed
- Employee of the condominium where the defendants lived – Márcia Eduarda Vieira
- Henry’s nanny – Thayná de Oliveira Ferreira
- Colonel Jairo, Jairinho’s father
- Jairinho’s current wife – Fernanda Abdul Figueiredo
- Miriam Santos Rebelo Costa – who had a relationship with Leniel
