Federal deputy Valmir Assunção (PT-BA) reported having received, after almost three years, compensation for being a victim of the crime of racial injury. Assunção received the amount of R$ 11,900 from a trader in Itamaraju, who called him a “monkey” on social media, in 2020. She was sentenced for the crime of racial injury and, at the beginning of the month, Justice had determined attachment of her vehicle.
The amount, according to the deputy, will be donated to the Association of Parents and Friends of the Exceptional (Apae) of the city of Itamaraju, Bahia. In a note, the parliamentarian recalled that the payment of compensation coincided with the celebration of the International Day of Struggle for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
“An example that we cannot remain silent when racism hurts us in an abject way. I receive compensation and will allocate the amount to APAE de Itamaraju, a social institution in the same city where the racist act took place. The businesswoman was convicted, but this experience will never be forgotten,” said the deputy.
According to the note, released by the advisory of the parliamentarian, the businesswoman deposited the amount pledged in court.
understand the case
On April 10, 2020, the deputy published a video in which he defended the opening of 20 ICU beds in the municipality of Itamaraju to care for patients with the coronavirus, based on an initiative by the state government, led at the time by Rui Costa (PT). On the same day, Jaqueline Soares de Oliveira released an audio, in a Whatsapp group of merchants in the city, calling the deputy “monkey”, “ridiculous” and “tramp” among other offenses, according to the judicial process.
Last year, the court condemned the businesswoman for acting “with prejudice and discrimination against any individual due to her personal conditions”. In March of this year, the seizure of the vehicle was ordered to pay compensation.
What is racial slurs
Racial injury is the offense to someone, an individual, because of race, color, ethnicity or origin. Since the beginning of the year, a new law equated racial injury with the crime of racism.
With that, the penalty for racial injury increased to two to five years of imprisonment. Before, the sentence was from one to three years. The punishment 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.
