MP denounces ex-boss and PM for torture against domestic worker in MA The Public Ministry of Maranhão denounced businesswoman Carolina Sthela Ferreira dos Anjos and military police officer Michael Bruno Lopes Santos for aggravated torture, attempted qualified homicide and attempted abortion against domestic worker Samara Regina Dutra Soares, aged 19. According to the MP-MA, Samara was five months pregnant when she was attacked, in April this year, inside the home of businesswoman Carolina Sthela, who hired her verbally and temporarily to provide domestic services, in Paço do Lumiar, in the Metropolitan Region of São Luís. The complaint was signed by public prosecutor Nahyma Ribeiro Abas. The Public Prosecutor's Office requested that the two defendants be brought to trial by the Jury Court, in addition to maintaining preventive arrests and carrying out additional investigations. The formal accusation, however, does not represent a conviction. After the complaint, it is up to the Court to analyze the evidence presented, hear witnesses and decide whether or not the accused should go to a popular jury. Carolina Sthela was preventively arrested in Piauí, when she tried to flee to another state. Since then, she has been held in custody at the Pedrinhas Penitentiary Complex, in São Luís. Michael Bruno is also in preventive custody, after reporting himself to the Civil Police. Carolina Sthela's defense informed that it was aware of the complaint presented by the Public Ministry of Maranhão and that it respects the institution's position. He also said that he will conduct the businesswoman's defense in accordance with the legal techniques that the case requires. The report was unable to contact the defense of military police officer Michael Bruno Lopes Santos. What would have motivated the attacks MP-MA denounces ex-boss and PM for attempted murder, torture and attempted abortion against domestic worker Reproduction/TV Mirante According to the complaint, Samara was accused by her then boss of having stolen a ring worth R$5,000. The object, according to the Public Ministry, was later found in a clothes basket, which would indicate that the jewelry had not been stolen, but forgotten by the businesswoman herself. Even so, according to the MP-MA, the young woman was subjected to a series of physical and psychological attacks. The investigation indicates that the objective of those accused was to make Samara confess to the alleged theft. According to the complaint, the military police officer participated in the attacks, using a firearm to intimidate the victim. The MP claims that Michael Bruno hit the young woman in the forehead, dragged her by the hair and kept her on her knees under threat. The businesswoman, in turn, is identified as the main person responsible for the physical attacks. The Public Prosecutor's Office states that, even after the ring was found, Carolina started punching and slapping the maid, while the police officer immobilized her. During the attacks, Samara, who was pregnant, allegedly bent over her own belly to try to protect the baby. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CASE: Who are the ex-boss and the PM accused of torture and attempted murder against a domestic worker in MA CHRONOLOGY: Torture, audios and arrest mark the case of an assaulted domestic worker in MA WHAT IS KNOWN: accusation of robbery, assaults and audio with confession in MA Boss arrested for attacking a pregnant domestic worker has already been convicted of embezzling R$20,000 from her sister's company in São Luís Pregnant domestic worker attacked by her boss in MA received R$750 to assemble a layette that costs up to R$3,000 in São Luís Why the Public Prosecutor's Office points to torture Pregnant domestic worker attacked by her ex-boss in MA says she lost 50% of her hearing after the attacks Reproduction/Social Media The complaint frames the case as torture because, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the victim was forced to use violence and a serious threat to confess to a crime she did not commit. For the MP-MA, the attacks were not a domestic disagreement or an isolated bodily injury. The prosecution maintains that Samara was subjected to intense physical and psychological suffering, in a degrading situation, with the aim of extracting a confession. The torture was reported to have increased because the victim was pregnant. In practice, this means that the Public Prosecutor's Office considers that being pregnant increased Samara's vulnerability and aggravated the conduct attributed to those being investigated. According to the prosecutor responsible for the case, the complaint is based on testimonial evidence, expert examinations and other elements gathered during the investigation. Why there is an accusation of attempted murder The Public Prosecutor's Office also charged Carolina and Michael with attempted qualified murder. According to the complaint, during the assault session, the accused threatened to drug Samara, hide her in a car and take her to a farm, where she would be executed. Furthermore, audios seized by the Civil Police indicated, according to the MP, that the businesswoman herself commented on the violence suffered by the victim and said that Samara “wasn't even supposed to come out alive”. For the Public Ministry, the intensity of the attacks, the use of a firearm, the threats and the context of the case indicate an intention to kill. Therefore, the prosecution does not treat the episode just as aggression, but as attempted murder. The complaint also points out qualifiers, which are circumstances that make the crime more serious. They will be analyzed by the Court throughout the process. Why the case also involves an attempted abortion Carolina Sthela Ferreira dos Anjos is accused of attacking and torturing a 19-year-old domestic worker, five months pregnant Reproduction/Social Networks/TV Mirante The third charge is attempted abortion. The MP-MA states that Samara was pregnant and that those accused were aware of the pregnancy. During the attacks, according to the complaint, the victim had to protect her belly to prevent the blows from hitting the baby. In the Public Prosecutor's Office's assessment, violence against a pregnant woman, as described, put the pregnancy at risk. Therefore, the Prosecutor's Office understood that there was also an attempted abortion. This point of the complaint refers to the supposed exposure of the fetus to the risk caused by the attacks. The accusation will be analyzed by the Court during the criminal action. What evidence is cited in the complaint The Public Prosecutor's Office states that the complaint is supported by forensic examinations, expert reports, statements and audios seized by the Civil Police. Among the elements mentioned are reports that indicated injuries and hearing loss in the victim. The Prosecutor's Office also mentions the history of calling the Military Police by calling 190. Another point considered relevant by the MP are audios in which, according to the investigation, Carolina narrates part of the attacks. In the recordings, the businesswoman stated that she hit the victim so much that her hand was swollen. For the Public Ministry, these elements reinforce the materiality of the crimes and the participation of those accused. Who are the accused Michael Bruno Lopes Santos, suspected of participating in the attacks against a maid at the behest of a businesswoman Reproduction/Social Networks Carolina Sthela Ferreira dos Anjos is a businesswoman and had hired Samara to work as a maid in her home. She was preventively arrested in May, in Teresina, Piauí, while serving a warrant issued by the Maranhão Court. The businesswoman's defense previously stated that she had no intention of fleeing and that she was in Piauí to leave her son in the care of family members. The defense also said that Carolina would comply with court orders and present her version in the process. Michael Bruno Lopes Santos is a military police officer from Maranhão. According to the complaint, he used his status as a security officer and a firearm to intimidate the victim and prevent her from reacting during the attacks. The SSP-MA reported that the police officer is criminally and administratively liable, including before the Military Police Internal Affairs. The secretariat also stated that four other military police officers who participated in the initial response to the incident were removed and began responding to internal procedures. Michael Bruno's defense previously stated that they had not yet had complete access to the records and that he denied having committed attacks or acts of violence. Complaint accepted by the Court: what happens now The Maranhão Court accepted the complaint against Carolina Sthela Ferreira dos Anjos and Michael Bruno Lopes Santos. With this, the two begin to formally respond to the criminal case. The case is being processed at the Criminal Court of Paço do Lumiar, in the Metropolitan Region of São Luís. The process follows the procedure used in cases of crimes against life, such as murder and attempted murder. In the decision, the Court determined that Carolina and Michael be officially called to present a defense. He also requested the inclusion of expert reports and other documents considered necessary for the progress of the process. There is no hearing scheduled yet, as the case is at the beginning of its processing. The preventive arrests of Carolina Sthela and Michael Bruno were maintained, they remain in the Maranhão prison system, according to the Public Ministry. The Court did not change the measures that had already been determined previously. The Public Prosecutor's Office asked that the two be brought to trial by the Jury Court, on charges of attempted murder. This request, however, has not yet been analyzed. The decision on the jury will only be made after the phase in which the evidence is gathered and the parties and witnesses are heard. At the end of this stage, the Court will decide whether or not the case should proceed to trial by the Jury Court. Meanwhile, the two continue to respond to the accusations without definitive convictions. The criminal responsibility of each person will be defined by the Court. Remember the case Audios reveal suspected assault on the maid in Paço do Lumiar Samara Regina was attacked on April 17, in the house where she worked, in Paço do Lumiar, in the Metropolitan Region of São Luís. According to the maid, she suffered hair pulling, punches and punches and was knocked to the floor. During the attacks, she tried to protect her belly because she was pregnant. According to the statement, former boss Carolina Sthela accused the young woman of stealing a ring and spent hours looking for the object. The ring was found in a laundry basket. According to the victim, the attacks continued even after the jewelry was found. She also stated that, at one point, she was threatened with death by Carolina Sthela if she reported the case to the police. "It started with hair pulling. I was knocked to the ground and spent most of the time there. There were slaps, punches and punches... it was nonstop. They didn't care," said the young woman. In her statement, the young woman reported that a man, identified by the police as military police officer Michael Bruno Lopes Santos, also participated in the attacks. According to her, he went to the house to intimidate her with violence. The victim described him as "tall", "strong" and "dark". The OAB classified the case as aggravated torture, in addition to bodily harm, threats and slander. Domestic worker received R$750 for a workday of almost 10 hours with an accumulation of duties. The young woman, aged 19, stated that she received R$750 for just over two weeks of work at the businesswoman's house. According to her, she accumulated duties and worked almost 10 hours a day. g1 had access to the young woman's statement, given on May 6th. She detailed the work routine at her ex-boss's house. Among the activities that the young woman had to do were cleaning the house, cooking, washing and ironing clothes, as well as taking care of a six-year-old child, her ex-boss's son. Payment was made in installments, through transfers on behalf of third parties. According to the victim, the first contact with the businesswoman occurred via a messaging app, in early April. At the time, a month of work was offered and a meeting was arranged at the residence. The young woman said she started working without agreeing on her salary, the goal was to try to buy the baby's layette. According to her, the workday was from Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 7pm, with just 30 minutes break. PMs are investigated for not taking a businesswoman to the police station after a complaint. The four military police officers who responded to the incident, identified as Sergeant Cerqueira, Corporal Henrique and soldiers De Sá and Yuri, are under administrative investigation and have been removed from street duty. They are expected to testify this week, but the date has not been announced. The investigation into the agents' conduct began after the release of audio recordings in which the businesswoman stated that she was not arrested in the act because she knew one of the police officers. According to Samara, the police arrived at Carolina's house, spoke briefly with the businesswoman and then took her to the Women's Police Station. TV Mirante had access to images from security cameras near Carolina's house. At around 10:30 am on April 17, the four police officers arrived at the scene. In the images, it is possible to see the moment when Sergeant Cerqueira enters the house. In audios obtained by the investigation, Carolina describes the approach taken by the police officers. In one of the excerpts, she claims to have received instructions from one of the agents not to say that she had attacked the maid. "Come in. I came into the house and he said: 'You can't say that you hit, you can't confess, are you crazy?'", Carolina said in one of the audios, referring to the sergeant. Still according to the victim, after the approach, the agents repeatedly asked, during the journey to the police station, whether she had stolen the ring. According to the State Secretariat for Public Security of Maranhão, an investigation was opened to investigate their conduct. Infographic - Boss suspected of attacking pregnant employee is transferred to Pedrinhas Penitentiary Arte/g1