Relatives and friends of model Kathlen Romeu promoted this Saturday morning (11) an act in memory of the young woman, in Lins de Vasconcelos, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro . The celebration, held in the community where she lived, featured performances by local artists and activities for children, such as painting and dancing. Organizers also donated baby kits and toys to community residents.
The death of Kathlen, who was 23 years old, completed one year last Wednesday (8). The model, who was pregnant of four months, was killed by a rifle shot in the chest during a Military Police operation, in Complexo do Lins, in the North Zone of Rio.
In addition to honoring the young woman, family and friends made an appeal for justice and recalled the risks of violence in police operations in the communities. The phrase “His bulletproof memory” was emblazoned on T-shirts of participants and memorial donations.
During the tribute, the victim’s grandmother, Sayonara de Fátima Queiroz de Oliveira, spoke about her granddaughter’s death by violence.
“It gets worse because we lose and have to fight to prove one thing: that the State is wrong. The State is wrong, they kill and they are there, we are trapped in our pain, in our anguish”, said Sayonara.
Case goes to court
Last month, the Court of Justice of the State of Rio (TJRJ) held the first hearing of the case. A new hearing is scheduled for June 27, as one of the defendants’ defense witnesses did not appear due to medical reasons. During the hearing, Kathelen’s grandmother, who was with her at the time of the shooting, said that one of the police officers did not let her accompany her granddaughter on the way to the hospital. She would have been taken away in a van.
According to the platform Fogo Cruzado, this year alone, 322 people were victims of police clashes in the state of Rio de Janeiro. At the end of May, Military Police from one company and eight battalions in Rio de Janeiro began using surveillance cameras in outdoor activities. According to the PM, the images will be stored for one year and can be requested by agencies such as the Public Ministry and the Public Defender’s Office.
According to the state government, initially there will be 1607 cameras, but the project foresees up to 21,500 equipment, with an investment of R$ 6 million per month. In February, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) decided that the state government of Rio de Janeiro must create a plan to contain police lethality in operations.
Source: CNN Brasil
