Santa Catarina deacon sentenced to 18 years for sexual abuse of minor

The 5th Criminal Chamber of the Tribunal de Justiça de Santa Catarina confirmed the conviction of a deacon for the crime of rape of a vulnerable person against a girl under 14. The court set the penalty at 18 years, 1 month and 23 days of imprisonment in a closed‑regime facility.

The abuse occurred between 2016 and 2017 in a small town in southern Santa Catarina, where the clergyman exploited his religious position and the trust of the victim’s family, assaulting the child during car rides to church. The defense appealed citing procedural flaws and questioning the victim’s age, but the judges upheld the verdict, noting sufficient evidence and the victim’s consistent testimony.