From assaults to sexual abuse: prosecutor details torture in clinic after arrest of couple in Portugal

Brazil begins process to extradite lawyer and psychologist arrested in Portugal After the arrests of Marluci Cabrera Bellini Henares and Djalma Antônio Henares Júnior in Portugal, prosecutor Aroldo Costa Filho recalled details of the violations that occurred in a rehabilitation clinic in Ribeirão Preto (SP) where the accused worked. The representative of the Public Ministry, who has been following the case since the investigation began 12 years ago, describes a scenario of systematic violence and humiliation against inmates. "The people who were heard and who contacted the Public Prosecutor's Office clarified several serious facts that were committed against them. First, physical attacks, which was the most common. They were attacked with punches, with pieces of wood. They were even sexually assaulted with other types of instruments", stated the prosecutor. ? Be part of the g1 Ribeirão e Franca channel on WhatsApp The defendants' defense was sought, but they did not comment on the case until the last update of this news. Marluci Cabrera Bellini Henares and Djalma Antônio Henares Júnior, convicted of torture in a rehabilitation clinic in Ribeirão Preto (SP). Reproduction/EPTV The couple was arrested by the Portuguese police in July 2026, with Djalma, aged 56, detained on the 9th and Marluci, aged 49, on the 17th. The arrests took place around a month after the final conviction by the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), which set the sentence at 17 years and six months in prison. With the confirmation of the sentence, the Ribeirão Preto Public Ministry requested the extradition of the defendants so that they can serve their sentence in a closed regime in Brazil. In addition to them, Angelo Bellini Neto, Djalma's nephew who worked at the clinic, was also sentenced to prison. He was found and arrested in Cravinhos (SP). Rehabilitation clinic in Ribeirão Preto denounced in 2014 for torture against patients. AcervoEP Pieces of wood and psychological punishments According to prosecutor Aroldo Costa Filho, the investigations, which began in August 2014 following search and seizure warrants, revealed that inmates were subjected to violent and degrading control methods. In addition to being tied up and thrown into warehouses with wet, soapy floors, patients were forced to take controlled medications without a prescription. MORE Investigations at a rehabilitation clinic in 2014 reported for torture in Ribeirão Preto (SP). AcervoEP Another practice described involved psychological punishments, in which inmates were forced to sit and look at trees for hours at a time and, if they dozed off, they were woken up with aggression. The victims' reports indicate that the owners, Djalma and Marluci, had an active participation in the dynamics of the clinic, including using cameras to monitor the inmates 24 hours a day. Angelo, a third convict who acted as a monitor, was pointed out as directly responsible for the frequent execution of physical attacks, such as "rear-naked chokes", punches and kicks. The court case and the Interpol list The case against the couple and other clinic employees lasted 12 years. Right at the beginning of the investigations, in 2014, the Public Ministry even requested the preventive detention of the defendants, but they left the country legally before the warrants were issued, taking up residence in Portugal. During this period, Marluci worked as a zumba teacher in the autonomous region of Azores. Locating the couple was only possible after collaboration between the Public Ministry and the Federal Police, who identified the addresses in foreign territory. Pieces of wood seized in a rehabilitation clinic reported for torture in Ribeirão Preto in 2014. AcervoEP In June 2026, with the sentence becoming final and unappealable by the STJ, the names of Marluci and Djalma were included in the Interpol Red Diffusion, which enabled the arrests carried out the following month. The crime of torture is considered heinous and the dosimetry of the sentence, according to the prosecutor, took into account the continuity of the crimes and the number of victims — at least 24 former inmates were identified just on the day of the operation in 2014. "The response for society is very good. It took a while, but the punishment came and came with rigor," said Costa Filho. See more news from the region on g1 Ribeirão Preto e Franca