Judge Acquits Bolsonaro’s Stabber as Mentally Ill; President Will Appeal

By Xiu Ying

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Federal Judge Bruno Savino, on Friday, June 14th, acquitted Adélio Bispo de Oliveira, deemed criminally incapable in the case in which he confessed to stabbing the then-presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, while campaigning in July 2018.

By declaring Adélio Bispo de Oliveira guilty but mentally ill, that is, there are grounds for conviction, but that legal disability for mental disorders warrants alternative measures, the judge ordered him held in a mental facility indefinitely, “until medical experts have proven that he is no longer dangerous”.

“Due to the circumstances of the attack and the very high risk”, judge Savino dictated that, following a minimum period of three years, a medical evaluation should be conducted as to whether the stabber had “stopped posing a risk”. According to the ruling, Adélio Bispo de Oliveira will be held in custody in the federal prison of Campo Grande, the state capital of Mato Grosso do Sul, where he has been detained since September 2018.

The psychiatric report considered in the ruling asserts that Adélio suffers from Persistent Delirium Disorder and that the stabbing attack was a direct consequence of the disease.

President Jair Bolsonaro also said on Friday that he would take action to get the judge’s decision overturned.

To the press, Bolsonaro said he had “no doubts” that an assassination attempt was made using Adélio. “We know they tried to murder me,” said the president.

“From that moment on, if there is no appeal, and if it becomes final, should Adélio Bispo de Oliveira want to tell us who paid him to try to murder me, it will no longer have any legal force,” said Bolsonaro. “They tried to kill me. I am certain who they were, but I can’t say, I don’t want to prejudge anyone,” the president added.