The indictment by the federal police of Silvio Almeida, former Minister of Human Rights in the Lula (PT) government, was based on allegations of sexual harassment against Aniel Franco (Racial Equality) and Professor Isabel Rodríguez.
The police report was sent to the STF (Supreme Federal Court) last Monday (10th).
In the case of other victims, the PF believed there was a statute of limitations, a statute of limitations that prevents the state from punishing the person who committed the crime or carrying out the sentence within a period of time that has elapsed since the fact, according to information from sources with access to the documents.
Combined, these penalties can result in up to 10 years in prison.
The case is being handled in secret in court and reported by Minister Andres Mendonça. Earlier this year, Silvio Almeida testified for more than two hours to federal police during an investigation.
The accusations against the minister were forwarded to the Me Too Organization and revealed by the Metropoles portal in September last year. The accusations will include those of Aniel.
The indictment information was initially reported by TV Globo, sheet.
The former minister has denied the accusations since they became public. The same day the charges surfaced, he released a memo responding to the charges.
“I categorically reject the lies that have been told against me. I reject such accusations out of the strength of my love and respect for my wife and my beloved one-year-old daughter, in the midst of the fight I wage every day to protect human and civil rights in this country,” he said at the time.
When contacted, Almeida’s defense not only reaffirmed the former minister’s innocence, but also said he was not aware of the contents of the PF report.
Lawyers stressed that the proceedings are confidential, including the indictment, and must be preserved.
An indictment is a police investigative action in which the investigating authorities report that they have found evidence that the person being investigated has committed a crime.
Generally, this formal procedure occurs at the end of the police phase of a case, after which the investigation is referred to the Ministry of Public Security, in this case the Attorney General’s Office.
The public prosecutor’s office can file charges against the suspect or request closure of the case. There is also a possibility that prosecutors and public prosecutors may request additional investigation from the police.
A person under investigation is considered a defendant only if the court receives a formal complaint from the public prosecutor’s office.
In a statement to federal police, Aniel said Almeida’s “inappropriate approaches” escalated to physical harassment.
The minister told Veja magazine that there had been “unfavorable behavior” on Almeida’s part, including inappropriate touching and cheeky advances, but that he did not report the episode for fear of “losing credibility and being judged”, adding that he felt the victim was at fault, not the perpetrator.
In the case of the teacher, she released a video last September accusing the former minister of touching her without her consent during lunch in the presence of other people in 2019, before he took over as human rights minister in the Lula (PT) government.
“I was sitting next to Silvio. He was on the right and I was on the left. I was wearing a skirt. He lifted my skirt and willingly put his hand on my genitals,” he said.
Silvio Almeida even said in an interview with UOL that Aniel “lost his personality” and fell into a political trap.
At the time, the former minister published a manifesto on social media in which he said he would resume public life. “I’m alive. I’m still outraged. I don’t want pity or ‘second chances.’ I want justice.”
As a result of the incident, President Lula fired Silvio Almeida the day after the allegations were revealed. Prior to the decision, PT members met individually with Almeida, and after announcing his resignation, they met individually with Aniel Franco. Since then, the head of the human rights department has been Macae Evaristo.
In his official resignation statement, the government said it considered it “unsustainable” for the president to remain as minister, given the nature of the sexual harassment accusations.
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