Brazil courts issue major rulings against religious figures and institutions

Brazilian courts have issued significant rulings against religious figures and institutions following allegations of misconduct.

In Minas Gerais, Pastor Lúcio Barreto Júnior and the Igreja Batista da Lagoinha were ordered to pay R$ 150,000 in collective moral damages. The ruling follows a 2024 sermon in which the pastor made sexually suggestive comments regarding his 11-year-old daughter. The judge ruled that the statements were sexist and objectified the female body, noting that religious freedom does not protect speech that violates fundamental rights. As part of the sentence, the pastor must deliver a new sermon focused on child education and combating violence against women, and the church must publish a public retraction on its social media channels.

In Goiás, the medium João de Deus and the Centro Espírita Dom Inácio de Loyola were sentenced to pay R$ 20 million in collective moral damages due to a pattern of sexual abuse committed at the center. The court recognized the link between the medium and the institution, noting that the abuses were carried out during spiritual services. The ruling also mandates individual compensation for victims who can prove they were abused. To ensure payment, the court has maintained the freeze on a R$ 41 million agricultural property belonging to João de Deus.