Anisio Ferreira de Sousa

Case record: Anisio Ferreira de Sousa

Timeline

• September 4, 2003 — Anísio Ferreira de Sousa was sentenced to 77 years in prison.
• September 5, 2003 — A Brazilian court sentenced a doctor to 77 years in prison for the ritual mutilation and killing of young boys in a remote Amazon town over a decade ago.
• September 11, 2003 — A Brazilian court sentenced a doctor to 56 years in prison for the ritual mutilation and killing of boys in a remote Amazon town (Césio Brandão).
• September 22, 2003 — A court was set to decide the case of Valentina de Andrade.

Background

Anísio Ferreira de Sousa was identified as a Brazilian doctor and serial killer connected to a satanic ring. The ring was linked to the deaths of children in Altamira, Brazil.

Crimes linked to the ring occurred between 1989 and 1992, with children disappearing around the town of Altamira. The victims were described as being sexually mutilated and murdered, with some details including eyes gouged out, wrists slit, and sexual organs cut off.

A sect associated with the alleged crimes was referred to as Superior Universal Alignment, and it was described as believing that children born after 1981 were evil and must be expunged.

The offence

Anísio Ferreira de Sousa was convicted in connection with the ritual mutilation and killing of children in Altamira, Brazil.

He was sentenced in connection with the murder of three boys and the attempted murder of two others. The attempted murder victims were described as escaping from their captors after having their sexual organs removed.

Victims’ families described there having been 19 victims in total, described as boys aged between 8 and 13. The families said the boys were kidnapped, tortured or killed in Altamira between 1989 and 1993.

Additional descriptions included that some victims had their eyes gouged out, wrists slit and sexual organs cut off, and that some were never found while others escaped after being drugged, bound and mutilated.

Investigation

The trial was presented as a test of Brazil’s ability to bring justice to remote areas. It was also described as being closely followed, including as a response to years of impunity and as a way to address whether local elites controlled the law in remote areas.

Legal experts assisting victims’ families were described as having worked for years to bring suspects to trial. It was stated that police dropped many cases because of lack of evidence or incompetence, and that only one of seven probes launched in the past 13 years had shed any light on the case.

Arrest

Valentina de Andrade was jailed after she tried to flee the country. It was stated that she was to be sentenced and that Valle ordered her arrest after police found she had tried to catch a flight to neighbouring Argentina on Tuesday; she checked in but turned around after finding she had to go through passport control carried out by federal police in Brazil.

Valentina de Andrade was handcuffed and escorted from the court by police in the Amazon town of Belem and taken to a local women’s jail.

Trial

A trial involving Valentina de Andrade and multiple other defendants was described as beginning in August and taking place in Belem. The trial was described as coming 11 years after the police investigation began and as involving charges of murder, attempted murder and torture.

In the trial, Valentina de Andrade was described as the suspected leader of the sect known as Superior Universal Alignment. Two doctors were described as being among those charged, along with two security guards and the son of a businessman in Altamira. The allegations included attacking five boys, three of whom died and two of whom were mutilated but escaped.

The two surviving boys were expected to testify at the trial. One survivor, Wandiclei Pinheiro, was described as now aged 22 and was nine years old at the time of the crimes. It was stated that Pinheiro managed to flee from his captors and was expected to identify former police officer Carlos Alberto Santos as a participant in the ritual. It was also stated that Pinheiro had been threatened with death a month before if he testified.

Human Rights Secretary Nilmario Miranda was quoted: “This is a very important case, even if it comes 11 years afterward,” and “We have to celebrate the fact that there is a trial.”

A lawyer for the victims’ families, Clodomir Araujo, stated: “fundamental” in the jury’s decision (the quote appeared in the record as “fundamental” in the jury’s decision).

Sentencing

Anísio Ferreira de Sousa was sentenced to 77 years in prison for the ritual killing of three boys and the attempted murder of two. The record described that the sentence included 57 years for the killings of three boys and an additional 20 years for the attempted murder of two other boys who escaped after having their sexual organs removed.

A prosecutor was quoted: “The success of this trial shows that the impunity of years past is over ? things in Brazil are changing.”

During sentencing, the courtroom erupted into applause as the sentence was read. Clodomir Araujo was also quoted: “This is justice for a community that put their trust in a doctor who went on to kill their children in Satanic rituals,” describing the trial and verdicts.

Two other men received prison terms described as a total of 92 years in jail for the murders and mutilations.

Appeals

The four other defendants besides Valentina de Andrade were described as appealing against their sentences.

Outcome

Valentina de Andrade was acquitted. It was stated that a 6 to 1 jury vote at the end of a 17-days trial in Belem resulted in her acquittal.

The judge, Ronaldo Valle, stated: “Valentina de Andrade is acquitted of the charges,” and Andrade fainted after the judgment and received medical treatment in court.

Prosecution said it would appeal against the court’s decision.

Other defendants and related persons

• Amailton Madeira Gomes was described as a former policeman in connection with the case. He was sentenced to 57 years in prison. The record described him as being sentenced for the murder of three children killed in Altamira.
• Césio Brandão / Cesio Brandao was described as being sentenced to 56 years in prison. It was stated that the sentence was for the gruesome killings of three boys and the attempted murder of a boy who escaped after his genitals were removed. Another report also described that Cesio Brandao was sentenced to 56 years in prison.
• Valentina de Andrade was described as the sect leader for Superior Universal Alignment and was acquitted of the charges. She was described as 72 during the acquittal and fainted after judgment.
• Nilmario Miranda was described as Brazil’s Special Secretary for Human Rights and was quoted in connection with the trial’s importance.
• Clodomir Araujo was described as one of the prosecutors trying the case and was quoted regarding justice and trial significance.
• Ronaldo Valle was described as the judge who announced the acquittal.
• Arnaldo Busato Filho was described as Valentina de Andrade’s defence lawyer who presented court documents, including one from Parana state police showing that Andrade wasn’t in Altamira when the crimes were committed.
• Flavio Pachalski was described as a spokesman for the families and was quoted regarding police dropping cases.
• Wandiclei Pinheiro was described as a survivor witness who had managed to flee and was expected to identify Carlos Alberto Santos.
• Carlos Alberto dos Santos Lima was described as a former policeman. He was described as being sentenced to 35 years in prison for the killing of one of the boys and attempted homicide of two others.
• Judge Luis Ernane Ferreira Malto was described in earlier narrative material as mandating preventive custody for other parties suspected of being involved, including another physician, a former corporal in the military police, and Valentina de Andrade.
• Roberto Olivera was mentioned as Valentina de Andrade’s former husband and accomplice in the sect until 1987 in the narrative material.
• Sergio Brandao was mentioned as another doctor involved in the killings who was described as being sentenced on Monday.