New Brazilian Bill Gets Named After ‘Neymar’

By Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Federal Deputy Carlos Jordy, from Rio de Janeiro, filed yesterday, June 7th, in the Chamber of Deputies, a bill increasing the punishment for false accusations of sexual crimes.

Should the bill be approved, individuals bringing false charges of rape, for instance, could see their sentence increased by up to a third. The proposal is being put forward in the context of the alleged sexual assault that Neymar, a player on the French football team Paris Saint-German and the Brazilian national team, is accused of having committed against model Najila Trindade Mendes Souza.

On Wednesday, a video showing the model attacking Neymar caused a large number of Internet users on social networks to side with the player.

In an interview to Broadcast Político, Jordy told that he intended to submit this bill before, but only after the economic agenda was debated, which is a priority for the revival of growth and the creation of jobs in the country. However, the case involving Neymar led him to prioritize this bill.

“Slanderous charges are serious and absurd in their own right, but when rape is involved, it destroys the accused’s life, as there is no crime more heinous than this. This angers everyone,” he said. “There is no doubt that the present moment has been decisive for us to present the bill,” he added.

On Twitter, Jordy’s proposal caused a reaction among internet users, who interacted with the post and called it the “Neymar da Penha Law”, in reference to the Maria da Penha Law, which crafted measures to curb domestic and family violence against women.