Former BBB Felipe Prior is sentenced to 6 years in prison for rape; Understand more the case
The former participant of the Big Brother Brasil program was sentenced to 6 years in prison in an initial semi-open regime. He will be able to appeal and wait in freedom.
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Felipe Prior, former participant of the Big Brother Brasil program, was condemned by the Justice of São Paulo to a six-year prison sentence for having committed the crime of rape. As informed by the initial regime for serving, the sentence will be semi-open. The crime took place in August 2014, according to a complaint filed by the Public Ministry. As established in the sentence, Prior may appeal the decision and await the entire process in freedom.
Indictment
Prior was convicted of the first charge that occurred in August 2014. During the period of events, Prior and the victim lived in the North Zone of the city and attended the same campus as Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. On that occasion, he began offering rides to both the victim and a mutual friend. After a university party, Prior would have given the victim and her friend a ride and after dropping off another colleague at his residence, Prior headed towards the victim's house.
Near the woman's residence, on a nearby street, Prior would have started kissing her, touching her body and taking her to the back seat. Former BBB Show Contestant, then, would have committed the rape against the victim, who could not resist due to his drunken state. The victim, protected under the name of Themis, describes that Prior took advantage of his drunkenness to practice libidinous acts and carnal conjunction, causing serious bodily harm.
Other accusations
In September 2016, during the Interfau university games, in the municipality of Biritiba Mirim, the second case that was registered as a crime of attempted rape occurred. The victim, a protected witness named Freya, reported that the attacker, Prior, tried to physically hold her using force, but was unsuccessful, allowing the victim to escape.
The third registered accusation is of a crime of rape that occurred during the Interfau Games in September 2018, in the city of Itapetininga. The victim in this case is a protected witness named Isis. According to the report, Prior took advantage of her drunken state to commit libidinous acts and carnal intercourse, using physical violence, even in the face of the victim's crying.
Decision
The decision handed down by the 7th Criminal Court of the capital highlights the complexity of the process, which monitors the testimony of 19 people. The judge responsible for sentencing stated that both the victims' and witnesses' testimonies were consistent and, together with the evidence acquired, constituted a solid set that led to Prior's conviction for the crime. The defense of the victims received the news of the sentence with great relief, as it recognized the importance given to the victim's word and the set of evidence that was presented. It took three and a half years of hard work and extensive thought to locate the victims and witnesses who contributed to the perpetrator's conviction.
"Despite the technical quality of the sentence, we understand that the penalty imposed does not reflect the brutality and consequences of the crime, so we will appeal in relation to this aspect", said criminalist Maira Pinheiro, one of the victim's lawyers.
Process
In 2020, former BBB entrant Prior was formally charged with rape and became a defendant before the Justice of São Paulo. The complaint was filed by the Public Ministry in August of that year. Three women have denounced the crimes committed by the architect, which include a case of rape in 2014, a second case of rape in 2016 and an attempted rape in 2018.
Prosecutor Danilo Romão, from the 7th Criminal Prosecutor's Office, and prosecutor Fernanda Moreti, from the Prosecutor's Office for Domestic Violence, accused Felipe Prior of committing the crime of rape, as established by article 213 of the Brazilian Penal Code (CPB). The allegation is that the crime occurred in São Paulo in 2014. The other cases, which occurred in different municipalities, were referred to local prosecutors. No information on the progress of these cases has been released by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
On the occasion, the lawyers representing the women who filed complaints stated that they were fighting not only for the accountability of an aggressor, but also so that, in the future, women can denounce aggressions without being attacked, revictimized or discredited by society and state structures. created to accommodate them.
Lawyers Juliana de Almeida Valente and Maira Machado Frota Pinheiro, who defend the women, stated in a statement that the evidence gathered during the investigation is substantial, including expert reports, various witness reports and ample documentation that were decisive for the Public Ministry to of the State of São Paulo, responsible for the criminal action, identifies an evident justifiable cause to initiate criminal proceedings. According to a statement, the lawyers stated that during the investigation process, respecting all legal guarantees, they will be assisted again before the judicial authority, allowing their presence in the face of the clear confirmation of the occurrence of one of the most serious and cruel crimes foreseen in our legislation.
In a 2020 note, Felipe Prior's defense stated that, after a thorough investigation, the police authority concluded that he was innocent. Evidence collected during the investigation indicates that he did not commit any crime. His defense said he was confident the justice system would also recognize Prior's innocence and dismiss the baseless accusations. The vigilant police inquiry by the 1st Police Station for the Defense of Women (DDM) in São Paulo was concluded on August 4, without him having been indicted for wiretapping.
