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officers kicked him in his stomach and ribs, slapped him and hit his head for about 30 minutes.
He was taken to Baradoro where he was reportedly kicked and hit by 10 civil police officers and
a military police officer for about 30 minutes. As a result of the ill-treatment, he allegedly
confessed to an offence. The torture reportedly stopped when his father arrived. According to
the information received, although he had marks on his neck and on his back, a bruise under the
left eye and a large mark on his spine, he was not taken to the IML.
State of Piauí
219. Maria Almira Ferreira da Silva, a pregnant dressmaker, was allegedly visited in Piauí
by military police officers, a court official and the owner of her rented house on 17 April 2000
with an eviction notice. The owner of the house reportedly beat her, pushed her against the wall
and slapped her. The military police officers and the court official allegedly removed the
furniture while she was being beaten in front of them and her young sons. She was reportedly
taken to a hospital suffering from severe bruising and she is said to have died three days later.
The official medical examination allegedly registered that the haemorrhage was caused by the
blows that she had received. The Office of the Public Prosecutor is said to be investigating the
case. The Special Rapporteur would be grateful to receive information about the outcome of the
investigation.
State of Rio de Janeiro
220. Alexandre Madado Pascoal was reportedly the detainee who suffered the most serious
injuries as a result of the beatings which were said to have taken place at Moniz Sodré
provisional detention facility on 28 August 2000 (see above). It is believed that he had been
beaten more seriously than other inmates because he had loudly complained about a picture of
his daughter and some money (20 reais) which had gone missing after the cell search. Apart
from the beatings, which allegedly made him faint four times, the head of security is believed to
have put his finger in his anus and to have bit his buttocks. On 30 August 2000, after his
appearance before a magistrate who is said to have refused to hear him and to have ordered his
immediate transfer to an emergency room, he is said to have been taken to hospital where a
doctor had reportedly ordered his hospitalization, which was said to have been refused by the
guards escorting him. He allegedly received no medical treatment, not even painkillers. He was
then taken to the IML where his injuries were said to have been recorded. But he did not
complain about the beatings for fear of reprisals since a guard from Muniz Sodré was constantly
present. At the time of the interview (31 August) two large haematomas were present on the
lower part of his back; a large bump was visible at the back of his head; he could not move his
right leg and left arm; his lips were cut; bruises were present all over his body, in particular on
his forehead; and some of the fingers of his left hand seemed to be broken. He was said to be
vomiting blood. He could not understand why he had not been taken back to Muniz Sodré and
was worried about the fact that his current place of detention was very far from his family home,
which would make visits almost impossible. With the diligent help of the officer-in-charge of
Vieira Ferreira Neto, Alexandre Madado Pascoal was then taken on a stretcher to a medical unit
next door, where a doctor examined him and, shocked, ordered his transfer to a hospital.
Informed of the situation by the Secretary of State for Justice, the Assistant-Secretary for
Human Rights and the Head of Security for the Penitentiary System joined the Special
Rapporteur at 2.00 a.m. and recorded the testimonies of Alexandre Madado Pascoal. They
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