AGU will ask the court to remove Discord from the air

At an event to sanction the law that increases the punishment for digital crimes against children and adolescents, Messias heard the report from the national secretary of Digital Rights of the Ministry of Justice, Victor Fernandes, about the court's denial of the police's request to take the social network offline.

In view of this, Messias informed that he will ask the Minister of Justice, Wellington Lima e Silva, for all recent information about Discord.

"I will ask the Minister of Justice to formally forward all this information to the AGU so that we can handle a public civil action asking for immediate accountability and the withdrawal of its use by Brazilian society. Since it is not committed to Brazilian legislation and does not protect children and adolescents."

The conversation took place around the most recent case involving Discord. On July 22, a teenager committed suicide live on a social media broadcast.

The live on the internet took place for around 45 minutes. Before being induced to take her own life in the house where she lived with her family in Naviraí, 365 kilometers from Campo Grande (MS), the teenager was coerced in the virtual environment by criminals to torture and kill a cat, without success.

The episode triggered Operation Lívia, conducted by the Civil Police of Mato Grosso do Sul, with support from the Ministry of Justice. The action resulted in the arrest of five minors, between 13 and 18 years old, in five states across the country.

Where to seek help

Adolescents and their guardians or anyone with thoughts and feelings of wanting to end their own life should seek support from their support network, such as family, friends, educators and also health services.

According to the Ministry of Health, it is very important to talk to someone you trust and not hesitate to ask for help, including when seeking services in the area.

Health services that can be sought for care:

Psychosocial Care Centers (Caps) and basic health units;

24-hour UPAs, Samu 192, emergency rooms and hospitals;

Life Valorization Center – 188 (free call).

The Center for Valuing Life (CVV) provides emotional support and suicide prevention, voluntarily and free of charge serving all people who want and need to talk, under complete confidentiality, by phone (188), email, chat and voip 24 hours a day.