Brazilian businessman Thiago Brennand absolved of rape conviction by São Paulo court

The 2nd Criminal Chamber of the São Paulo State Court (TJ‑SP) overturned one of nine rape charges against businessman Thiago Brennand, vacating an eight‑year prison sentence imposed in a first‑instance ruling in August 2025. The panel voted 2‑1 to grant the appeal, citing inconsistencies in the evidence and applying the principle that doubt must benefit the defendant.

Brennand’s defense argued the sexual act was consensual, while the prosecution and the victim, medical student Stefanie Cohen, maintain that he forced the encounter after she became incapacitated at a hotel. Cohen’s statement quoted in the case reads, “Eu estava passando mal… ele forçando a relação sempre de forma violenta. Não houve relação consensual em nenhum momento.”

The ruling has been challenged by the victim’s lawyers, who filed a special appeal to the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), asserting that the judgment gave excessive weight to unilateral digital evidence and breached gender‑perspective protocols. Brennand remains incarcerated on other convictions, including a separate rape sentence for an American woman and an assault case involving model Helena Gomes.