The trial of Natália Ponte and Guilherme Longo, mother and stepfather of three-year-old Joaquim Pontes Marques, who died in November 2013, will resume this Wednesday (18).
In total, nine witnesses have been interviewed since Monday (15), including a civil police officer, two military police officers and the child’s father, Artur Paes Marques.
The Prosecutor’s Office accuses the stepfather of killing the boy Joaquim with an overdose of insulin, a medicine used to treat diabetes. The victim’s mother is accused of omission in the crime.
According to the São Paulo Court of Justice (TJ-SP), in total, 34 witnesses will be heard, six for the prosecution, four common witnesses and 24 for the defense. The popular jury is expected to finish by the end of the week.
The hearing is presided over by judge José Roberto Bernardi Liberal, from the São Paulo Court of Justice, and is held in secrecy. Access to the internal area of the Forum and the sessions were closed to the public and the press.
Trial ten years after the crime
The trial takes place a decade after Joaquim’s death. His body was found in Rio Pardo, in Barretos (SP), in November 2013.
He disappeared from the house where he lived with his mother and stepfather in Jardim Independência, in Ribeirão Preto.
On the day of Joaquim’s death, his stepfather administered an amount of insulin considered lethal to the victim. The boy’s body was found five days later.
According to Marcus Túlio, who represents the prosecution of the São Paulo Public Ministry, Guilherme Longo faced problems with drug addiction and had already demonstrated aggressive tendencies.
According to the prosecution, the defendant displayed behavior that was predictable and could kill the child. The prosecutor claims that even with all this evidence, the mother did not take her son away from his stepfather.
A CNN looked for the defenses of Guilherme Longo and Natália Ponte and awaits a return.
*Under the supervision of Marcos Rosendo, from CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
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