The Regional Electoral Court of São Paulo (TRE-SP) reported, late in the afternoon of this Monday (16), that it had not received any representation regarding the physical aggression of the PSDB candidate for mayor of São Paulo, José Luiz Datena (PSDB), against the PRTB candidate, Pablo Marçal, during a debate held on Sunday night (15) by TV Cultura. 
In a statement, the TRE-SP said that it only acts when provoked by the Electoral Public Ministry (MPE), by political parties, coalitions, federations, or candidates. “The Electoral Court acts when provoked, and it is up to those legitimate in the electoral process to initiate representations, complaints, and requests for the right to reply, except for exceptions provided for by law. To date, no representation has been received regarding the debate that took place on Sunday (15) on TV Cultura.”
The court condemned any type of violence or offenses between candidates and voters. “TRE-SP advocates a civilized, respectful and peaceful debate of ideas, so that voters can obtain the information they need to make their choice of candidates in a conscious and responsible manner, thus contributing to the consolidation of our democracy,” the statement said.
The Electoral Public Ministry of São Paulo reported that it “will take the appropriate measures” to guarantee the fairness of the municipal election, “repressing behavior that calls into question democracy, a value so valued by Brazilians as a whole.”
The MPE stressed that it strongly disapproves of the scenes that occurred during the debate, “when the lack of civility and simplicity [franqueza] demonstrated by candidates running for mayor of the largest city in the country culminated in physical aggression.”
Police
The Public Security Department (SSP) reported in a statement that the Civil Police opened an investigation into the assault and confirmed that Pablo Marçal had already given a statement and filed a criminal complaint against Datena. “The case is being investigated through a police inquiry opened by the 15th DP (Itaim Bibi), the area where the events occurred. The victim gave a statement on Monday and filed a criminal complaint. Images are being analyzed, and the police authority requested a forensic examination of the candidate. Further investigations are ongoing to clarify the facts,” the text says.
During the debate last night on TV Cultura, after a series of accusations made by Marçal against Datena’s reputation, the PSDB candidate threw a chair at the PRTB candidate.
Marçal went to the Sírio-Libanês Hospital after the incident. “Patient Pablo Henrique Marçal was admitted to the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in São Paulo yesterday, the 15th, after trauma to the right chest and right wrist, without major associated complications. He was evaluated by the medical and orthopedic clinic teams and has been discharged from hospital,” the hospital said in a statement.
