The Maranhão Court condemns the City of Jatobá to build an adequate public slaughterhouse Disclosure The Maranhão Court condemned the City of Jatobá, a city located 570 km from São Luís, to build a public slaughterhouse that meets sanitary and environmental standards. The conviction responds to a request from the Public Ministry of Maranhão (MP-MA). ?Download the g1 app to see MA news in real time and for free The Public Civil Action was proposed in January 2024 by prosecutor Carlos Allan da Costa Siqueira, from the District of Colinas. The case reached the MP-MA Ombudsman's Office through a complaint that indicated that cattle slaughtering was carried out in the open and without supervision, creating a risk of contamination of the meat consumed by the local population. According to the decision, the municipal administration must also create the Municipal Inspection Service (SIM), the body responsible for health inspection in the municipality. Furthermore, the unfinished building that would be used as a slaughterhouse must be designated for public interest. If the determinations are not complied with, a daily and personal fine of R$2,000 was imposed against Mayor Leo do Banco (União). The amount must be donated to the State Fund for Diffuse Rights of the State of Maranhão. The investigations During the investigation of the case, the Maranhão State Agricultural Defense Agency (Aged) carried out an inspection at the site. The technical report pointed out that the existing structure was inoperative, deteriorated and in a complete state of abandonment, with cracks, infiltrations and tall vegetation around it. According to the inspection, the building did not have an operating license, environmental license or health records with inspection bodies. The report concluded that it would be unfeasible to renovate or reactivate the structure due to its proximity to residential areas, which would prevent the installation of settling ponds for waste treatment. According to the Public Ministry, investigations confirmed by the Municipal Attorney General's Office indicated that construction of the structure began between 2005 and 2012, with an initial investment of R$150,000. However, the place never operated regularly. In the decision that condemned the Municipality of Jatobá, the Court highlighted that the government's failure to offer an adequate slaughter service violates constitutional rights of relevant public interest, such as the right to health, an ecologically balanced environment and consumer protection. According to the Maranhão Court, the new slaughterhouse must have adequate infrastructure, including space for receiving live animals, appropriate washbasins, sterilization equipment, boilers for cooking offal, skinning tables and a sewage system with a septic tank, in order to avoid the disposal of waste in the open.