Man Sentenced to Over 20 Years for Raping Teenager in Inhapim

A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years, 4 months, and 25 days in prison for the rape of a 15-year-old girl and for obstruction of justice in Inhapim, Brazil. The sentence was handed down by the 2nd Civil, Criminal, and Childhood and Youth Court of the district, as announced by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Minas Gerais (MPMG). The sentence is to be initially served under a closed regime. According to the MPMG, the crimes occurred in November 2025. Investigations and evidence presented during the criminal proceedings revealed that the convicted man exploited the trust of the victim's family to lure her away under the pretense of buying clothes. He then took the victim to a motel, where he deprived her of her liberty and committed sexual acts through violence and grave threats. The court determined that the evidence proven during the criminal investigation confirmed the materiality and authorship of the crimes. The MPMG also reported that following the incident, the convicted man and an accomplice pressured the teenager and her family to prevent the case from being reported to authorities or to influence their statements during the investigation and trial. These attempts reportedly included threats and offers of undue advantages, such as money and food baskets. For this conduct, both individuals were convicted of obstruction of justice. The sentence emphasized that the defendant attempted to prevent criminal accountability through threats and attempts to influence the victim and her family. In a statement, the Public Prosecutor responsible for the case affirmed that the conviction reinforces the MPMG's commitment to protecting children and adolescents who are victims of violence and to holding perpetrators of such crimes accountable.