There's a really strange kind of justice in Brazil, so much so that I've long since given up trying to figure it out. That's an impossible task to say the very least.
There are some cases however, that really deserve comment for their absolute absurdity. President Dilma Rousseff signed into law Decree 5.648/2011 which gives prisoners the right to be unconditionally released after serving 20 consecutive years of their sentence, provided they have been of good behavior.
It is quite likely that sometime today ex-military police officer Florisvaldo de Oliveira (a.k.a. Coporal Bruno) who was the leader of a São Paulo death squad responsible for the murder of at least 50 people will be released through the benefits of the decree. Oliveira was sentenced to 117 years 4 months and 13 days for the crimes. He was imprisoned and subsequently escaped three times (could it be somebody on the inside helped? Nawwwwwww, not a chance). He was finally recaptured in 1991, so he has now completed the 20 uninterrupted years of his sentence.
Life isn't worth a damned thing here in Brazil, never has been and never will be. When somebody can murder fifty people and get out scot free after serving 20 years is completely beyond comprehension. 146 days (4.8 months) for each life that this monster coldly snuffed out without a second thought; that is the value of each life.
It makes you wonder why they even bother to have judges give a sentence. One would think that in the case of a murder conviction there should be an automatic 20 years, no time off, no temporary passes and OUT, because that is exactly what this decree has created. Shame on you Dilma for setting free this monster on society.
STRANGE JUSTICE
Well, it looks like Brazil isn't the only country in the world where the justice system is way out of wack with reality.
Norwegian shooter Anders Breivik who killed 77 people was sentenced to 21 years, which is the maximum sentence permitted under Norwegian law. What a crock! I bet that if one of Queen Sonja's family were among the victims that law would have been changed instantly. Well, to be fair at least Norway's laws allow for him to be determined too dangerous to release at the end of his sentence, Brazil's laws do not offer the public even this minimal protection.
I guess that I've been spoiled, coming from North America. In Canada and the United States the laws are severe and applied impartially without consideration of who you are. A life sentence is just that... LIFE. Sure you get a chance to apply for parole in many cases, but here the operative word is APPLY. It is neither automatic nor is it guaranteed. Even in Canada one must apply under the "Faint Hope" laws after serving 25 years. Also certain criminals can be classified Dangerous Offenders and they never get out.
No wonder there is so much violence here in Brazil, when the government and judiciary don't place any value on a human life is it hardly any wonder that many individuals don't either?
Personally, I have always been opposed to Capital Punishment. Having said that, my opinion was formed under a different reality, in a different culture. Having lived here in Brazil for over ten years now and seeing some of the horrendous crimes here causes me to re-think my position. I doubt I would be so opposed had I been born and raised here in a clearly different reality. Unfortunately, I doubt that even having (and imposing) the Death Penalty here in Brazil would make any difference - it's just too late for that to change anything.
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