Elderly Man Sentenced to Over 80 Years for Child Sexual Abuse in Maranhão, Brazil

An elderly man, aged 64, has been sentenced to 80 years and 10 months in prison by the Single Court of the District of Santo Antônio dos Lopes, in Maranhão, Brazil. The sentence also includes 6 months and 20 days of detention and a fine. He was found guilty of raping vulnerable children, making threats, and exposing children to pornographic material. The perpetrator lived in a stable relationship with the victims' maternal grandmother, and the victims were two boys aged 8 and 10. He allegedly exploited his familial proximity to commit repeated abuse in isolated rural areas of Governador Archer. The abuse came to light when one of the children made a spontaneous comment that prompted the family to contact the police. According to the court ruling, the man used threats, including displaying a knife, and physical violence to silence the victims. He also forced the boys to watch pornography in his home. Judge Fabiana Moura Wild based her decision on victim testimonies, parental accounts, the investigating delegate's statements, and material evidence, such as the seized weapon. The defense argued a lack of physical evidence, but the judge cited Superior Court of Justice precedent, emphasizing the victim's testimony's special weight in clandestine sexual offenses when corroborated. The judge noted the child's emotional distress during specialized listening, recounting the accused's threats of drowning and killing. Aggravating factors included premeditation, violence, threats, the perpetrator's familial authority, and the victims' psychological sequelae, such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, and childhood depression. The sentence also mandates a minimum compensation of 40 minimum wages, to be divided between the two boys. The defendant will remain in preventive detention and cannot appeal while released, due to the risk posed to the victims and the community.