MAURÍCIO SIMIONATO
from Agência Folha , in Campinas
Marcelo Murillo de Almeida Passos, lawyer for two of the three university defendants accused of raping a 24-year-old girl, former student of the architecture course at PUC-Campinas, said this Thursday that the boys they are innocent. According to Passos, the student was conscious at the time of the act.
“It is natural for there to be an uprising in society in light of what has been exposed, but I can say that they are innocent,” said the lawyer.
The three students — one studying journalism and two studying architecture, all from PUC — were temporarily arrested on Monday and Tuesday.
Passos preferred not to disclose what his clients’ defense thesis will be, but said he is preparing a habeas corpus after the accused are interviewed by the police. Their testimony is scheduled to take place next week.
“I don’t know why she started accusing them, but from their account, she was not unconscious. She was not out of her mind, as is alleged, and went to the republic intentionally,” said Passos.
The lawyer asked that the names of the accused not be revealed because, according to him, the case will have a twist. “The students come from good families and were almost finishing their course. There will be a twist in the case, and their names cannot be disclosed.”
Two of the accused were in their final year of college, and the other was in their third year. “I believe in justice and it will be proven that they are innocent.”
The lawyer also intends to allege that there were flaws in the investigation to request habeas corpus from the students. “They were not even indicted nor were they interviewed in the process.
There are other doubts in the investigation, but I intend to analyze this after they are interviewed by the police.”
According to him, the three involved will deny their involvement in the case before the police. The third student became a lawyer from São Paulo, but she was not located by the Folha report.