President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sanctioned this Wednesday (11) a law approved by the National Congress that equates the crime of racial injury to that of racism and extends the penalties. The solemnity of sanction took place during the inauguration ceremony, at the Planalto Palace, of the ministers Sonia Guajajara (Ministry of Indigenous Peoples) and Anielle Franco (Ministry of Racial Equality)
Now, racial injury can be punished with imprisonment from 2 to 5 years. Before, the sentence was from 1 to 3 years. The penalty will be doubled if the crime is committed by two or more people. There will also be an increase in the penalty if the crime of racial injury is committed at sporting or cultural events and for humorous purposes.
The new legislation is in line with the understanding of the Federal Supreme Court, which, in October of last year, equated racial slurs with racism and, therefore, made slurs, like racism, a non-bailable and imprescriptible crime.
Racial injury is the offense to someone, an individual, because of race, color, ethnicity or origin. And racism is when discrimination affects an entire community by, for example, preventing a black person from assuming a function, job or entering an establishment because of the color of their skin.
