The PRF apologizes for the death of Genivaldo de Jesus in a ‘gas chamber’ in the vehicle
The Director General classified the death as a ‘traumatic fact’; The case happened in Sergipe last year
General Director of Federal Highway Police (PRF), Fernando Oliveira, apologized this Thursday, 25 years old, to the family of Genivaldo de Jesuskilled, a year ago, during an approach by the highway police, in Sergipe. Genivaldo did not resist the approach of the police, when he was locked in a vehicle, used as a kind of gas chamber. The three police officers involved have been arrested and face charges of torture and triple murder. Oliveira classified the death as a “traumatic event.” “The fact is dramatic for the institution. The fact is even more dramatic for the family. For this reason, I expressed my concern and solidarity with the family and formally apologized to the family. And it’s an event that we don’t want to repeat,” he said. The apology was made during the presentation of the project for the use of body cameras in PRF police uniforms, this Thursday (25). The Strategic Bodycams Project predicts that by April 2024 around 6,000 officers will be using the devices, roughly half of the police force. Practical tests start in November, in the project coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
The Genivaldo case
In April, the Supreme Court of Justice (STJ) upheld the arrest of two federal highway police officers accused of the death of Genivaldo de Jesus Santos by asphyxiation in a corporate vehicle, in May 2022. The ministers of the Sixth Panel of the court decided to maintain the preventive measure because they realized that the police acted with disproportionate force and contrary to internal norms. In addition, the judges considered that the victim had mental problems and did not resist the approach. In January, the Sergipe justice ruled that the PRF agents involved in the case should be tried by a popular jury for the crimes of torture and triple murder.
*With information from Agência Brasil
