Four People Indicted for Homophobic Attacks in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Four men charged with homophobia were indicted in Rio de Janeiro for bodily injury against three people. The crime occurred after two women kissed across a bar in Flamengo, in the city’s South Zone.

According to newspaper ‘Extra’, prosecutor Sauvei Lai reported that on the day of the crime, João Pedro Carvalho de Oliveira was on the street with Larissa Barbosa and Nádia de Mello Mendonça and the two women kissed.

Ronaldo Vieira, João de Moura, João Paulo Rodrigues Soares Pereira, and Sandro Chrispino then attacked all three with punches and martial arts blows.

The Racial Crimes and Intolerance Police Station (DECRADI) said security cameras helped to investigate the case.

In an interview with TV Globo, João Pedro was moved when he recalled the case: “I saw that there are homophobic people, yes, they want to hurt us, they want to kill us. We have to fight this because we are also human beings,” he said.

The four men were indicted for the crimes of severe bodily injury and for gross motive, mild bodily injury, threat, and obscene act.

They may be sentenced up to seven and a half years in prison.