Protesters went to Avenida Paulista this Sunday (1st) to pressure the authorities to punish the teenagers who tortured the stray dog Orelha, in Praia Brava, on the coast of Santa Catarina. The animal, which was under the care of a local community, was tortured on January 4th and died a day later, euthanized after being very weakened by the serious injuries resulting from the violence suffered.
The participants in the event wore, in large numbers, black clothes and also t-shirts with an image of the dog and phrases such as “It wasn’t just a bark, it was a call for justice!”. Stickers with similar messages were distributed among the public, made up of people of all ages, some bringing their animals.
Started at 10am, in front of the São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand Museum of Art (Masp), the protest was still active at 1pm, supported by slogans such as “They’re not children, they’re murderers!” and “It won’t be forgotten!” Signs calling for the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility were occasionally seen.
Psychologist Luana Ramos declares herself in favor of reducing the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 years old. THE agenda it once again became a focus in the National Congress – more specifically, in the Chamber of Deputies. The measure applies to violent crimes, such as heinous crimes, intentional homicide (when there is intent to kill) and bodily injury followed by death.
“If they had been four black boys, they would have been lynched. They would have already taken the law into their own hands, while the four rich white boys are going to Disney. This can no longer happen”, says Luana
“That’s not what a mistake is. An error can be fixed. This can’t be fixed, there’s no going back. It was murder, cruelty”, he adds, reacting to the attempt by the parents of the perpetrators to mitigate the seriousness of the act they committed. A post circulating on the internet shows the mother of one of them stating that it was all a mistake.
Hundreds of people protest in São Paulo over the death of the dog Orelha – Photo Letycia Bond/ Agência Brasil
Furthermore, parents of two of them and an uncle tried to coerce witnesses to prevent them from testifying. The boys are being investigated for an infraction similar to the crime of ill-treatment.
Lawyer Carmen Aires took her two adopted dogs to Paulista, along with her daughter, to express outrage at the death of Orelha, who would have been the second victim of the young people from Santa Catarina. The other is a dog that almost died from drowning.
For Carmen, 15-year-old teenagers should already face criminal charges. She assesses the penalties served by those who commit violence against animals as too mild. “They are very mild, they practically don’t exist. They haven’t resolved anything, so much so that they continue to happen. The law is recent, but it must be reviewed, because atrocities are being committed and we no longer accept this, watching the news, social media”, he states.
The institution Animal Support available in your website various materials capable of assisting in the process of re-education of society. One of the warnings is that there is a relationship between violence that victimizes animals and that practiced against women.
The couple Thayná Coelho and Almir Lemos, from Belém, walked through the postcards of the capital of São Paulo, unaware of the demonstration, which they joined, also driven by the feeling of revolt and impunity. Asked about a possible connection between the color of the young people and the way they behaved, without remorse, they responded, at the same time: “Absolutely.”
“The color, the social class. They thought they had the right and they just went and did it. They thought it was within their right. The footage is very clear. They didn’t do it as if it were a crime, as if it were something wrong. No, they do it as if it was within their rights”, said the publicist, criticizing the family members committed to hushing up the case. “The act was very sadistic, shocking. Today it was a dog. And tomorrow? Do they think that lives belong to them, that they have the right to take lives?”
“It also has a lot to do with what is promised to them. White people, especially white men, middle class, upper middle class. They are promised a privilege. They know they have this privilege. They think the world is theirs, that they can kill. Not just a dog, but women”, adds the psychologist. “Imagine their girlfriends.”
“We are seeing, through this case of Orelha, that it is just the tip of the iceberg, but that there is mistreatment every day, every minute and nothing is done. It is non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that, with a lot of sacrifice, with independent protectors, manage to minimize the suffering of these animals.”
