Casas Bahia founders linked to sexual exploitation and trafficking allegations

The founders of the Brazilian retailer Casas Bahia have faced serious allegations involving the sexual exploitation of women and minors. Samuel Klein, the company's founder known as the ‘King of Retail,’ was the subject of accusations starting in the 1990s. Reports indicate he allegedly targeted socioeconomically vulnerable adolescents, using company employees to deliver money and gifts to victims held in various properties. Klein died in 2014 at age 91 without a conviction.

His son, Saul Klein, was ordered by a labor court in 2023 to pay R$ 30 million following investigations into human trafficking for sexual exploitation. The case involved recruiting young women, aged 16 to 21, under the guise of modeling opportunities, only to subject them to forced sexual relations, psychological violence, and armed surveillance at a rural estate.

These historical allegations contributed to the introduction of the ‘PL Caso Klein’ in Brazil. This legislative proposal seeks to extend the statute of limitations for civil reparation actions in cases of sexual crimes against children and adolescents from three to 20 years. While the bill was approved by the Chamber of Deputies in 2023, it remains pending in the Senate.