Santa Catarina Court Orders Grandmother to Pay $10,000 and Retract Online Attacks on Daughter-in-Law

A court in Santa Catarina, Brazil, has ordered a grandmother to pay R$10,000 (approximately $1,900 USD) in moral damages and issue a public retraction for offensive online posts targeting her daughter-in-law. The grandmother had shared photos of her minor grandson on a public social media platform, accompanied by messages that insinuated the mother manipulated the child and was responsible for their estrangement. These posts generated numerous offensive comments directed at the child's mother. The court recognized that the grandmother's actions exceeded the bounds of free expression. The 2nd Civil Court of São Francisco do Sul issued the decision, which is subject to appeal. The names of the involved parties were not disclosed by the court. The mother stated that the publications harmed her honor, image, privacy, and dignity, and improperly exposed her son. The grandmother did not present a defense, leading to a default judgment. However, the court emphasized that the ruling was based on documentary evidence, not solely on the lack of defense. The judge highlighted that the posts violated the mother's personality rights and contravened protections for children and adolescents. The ruling mandates the grandmother to publish a retraction on the same social media profile within 15 days of the judgment becoming final, keeping it visible for at least 30 days.