Superior Tribunal de Justiça reinstates 18-year sentence for rape in Mato Grosso do Sul

The Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) has reinstated an 18-year prison sentence for a man convicted of the rape of a vulnerable minor in Mato Grosso do Sul. The decision by the Sixth Panel followed an appeal by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Mato Grosso do Sul (MPMS).

The defendant was accused of repeated sexual abuse against a girl under the age of 14, who is the granddaughter of his partner. While a lower court had previously acquitted the accused, the STJ majority ruled that a subsequent retraction by the victim did not invalidate the initial reports. The court found the original testimony to be credible, supported by forensic reports and other testimonies collected during the legal proceedings.