Fourth defendant in murder of Mãe Bernadete sentenced to 23 years in Bahia
Sérgio Ferreira de Jesus received a sentence of 23 years and nine months for participating in the homicide of quilombola leader in Simões Filho. He is the fourth person convicted in the case.
Sérgio Ferreira de Jesus convicted of aggravated homicide of quilombola leader
The Bahia judiciary convicted, on Wednesday (21), Sérgio Ferreira de Jesus to 23 years and nine months imprisonment in a closed regime for the murder of quilombola leader Maria Bernadete Pacífico, known as Mãe Bernadete. He is the fourth defendant to be tried in the case, as reported by cnnbrasil.com.br.
The jury trial was held at the Ruy Barbosa Forum in Salvador. During the session, two prosecution witnesses and four defence witnesses were heard. The crime was classified as aggravated homicide by base motive, cruel means, impossibility of the victim's self-defence and use of prohibited firearm.
The Bahia Public Prosecutor's Office (MPBA) emphasised during the trial the coordination of the crime and its motivation: the actions of Mãe Bernadete against the expansion of drug trafficking in Quilombo Pitanga dos Palmares, in Simões Filho, in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador.
According to investigations by Gaeco (Special Action Group to Combat Criminal Organisations), Sérgio participated directly in the organisation of the homicide. He is the stepfather of Arielson da Conceição Santos, one of the crime's perpetrators, convicted in April this year. Sérgio allegedly contributed to fuelling the motivation for the murder alongside "Maquinista", identified as the leader of trafficking in the locality, and assisted the perpetrators in executing the plan.
On the night of the crime, Sérgio instructed Arielson and Josevan, known as "BZ" or "Buzuin", on how to access the victim's residence without attracting attention and without triggering the security cameras. Because he had been held in preventive detention before the trial, there was no need for immediate execution of the sentence.
Mãe Bernadete was one of the principal quilombola leaders in Bahia and worked in defence of her community's territory and rights. According to investigations, she had been reporting threats before being killed, despite being enrolled in a protection programme.
The leader was murdered on the night of 17 August 2023, at the headquarters of Quilombo Pitanga dos Palmares. Armed men invaded her residence and she was struck by 25 gunshots. Three grandsons of the ialorixá were in the property at the time of the attack; they were removed from the room before the shooting and suffered no physical assault.
CNN Brasil reported that it is attempting to locate the defendants' legal representatives, with space reserved for their statement.
Source: Google News BR — Crime