Ilhéus judge orders release of man accused of killing father

A judge in Ilhéus, Bahia, has ordered the release of Joabson Rocha dos Santos, who is accused of murdering his father, Nerival Domingos dos Santos, in August. The victim was killed with knife wounds inside the family home.

Judge Guilherme Vieito Barros Junior ruled that the arrest must be relaxed due to an ‘inacceptable excess of time for the filing of the indictment,’ noting that the suspect had not been formally charged. While released to respond to the case in freedom, Santos must adhere to several precautionary measures, including a prohibition on leaving the municipality of Ilhéus for more than 10 days without judicial authorization and a requirement to report to the forum monthly.