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Conviction Afro-Brazilian religious settings Planalto Norte, Santa Catarina, Brazil · 2019

Planalto Norte spiritual leader: appellate court affirms a ten-year sexual-abuse sentence

Record class

Core record

Evidence status

Convicted

Authority role

self-described pai de santo, ritual and spiritual-healing leader

Organization

unnamed ritual space in northern Santa Catarina

Spiritual nexus

The cited record identifies claimed spirit incorporation, promised relief from spiritual problems, demanded sexual favors attributed to entities, threats of spiritual punishment, and private ritual consultations as the material spiritual doctrine, practice, authority, or pretext connected to the documented harm. The relevant authority role is self-described pai de santo and ritual and spiritual-healing leader.

  • Spiritual healing or treatment
  • Ritual, oath, or initiation

Evidence structure

Proceedings

  1. Date in cited record · unanimous appellate judgment reported October 2019

    Court of Justice of Santa Catarina, Fourth Criminal Chamber, Brazil. The chamber affirmed a sentence of ten years and four months in closed custody for sexual offenses by fraud involving three adolescent victims.

Documented coercion mechanisms

  • claimed spirit incorporation
  • promised relief from spiritual problems
  • demanded sexual favors attributed to entities
  • threats of spiritual punishment
  • private ritual consultations

Primary record

Sources

appellate court appellate judgment report Court of Justice of Santa Catarina, 'Líder espiritual tem condenação de 10 anos por abusos sexuais confirmada pelo TJSC' (Oct. 22, 2019).

The official court report records the unanimous appellate affirmance, sentence and three victims. It describes promises to solve spiritual problems, sexual favors falsely attributed to incorporated entities and threats of spiritual punishment used to enforce silence.

Related record

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