With the beginning, this Wednesday (1st), of the judgment in the Kiss Nightclub case, the father of one of the victims and member of the Association of Families of Victims and Survivors of the Tragedy of Santa Maria, Paulo Carvalho, told the CNN that the intention is not to seek “revenge”, but rather a conviction that serves as an “example” for crimes where there is eventual intent – when it is known that it can cause death and the risk is assumed anyway.
“What we consider fair is the eventual intent. This conviction is not revenge, it is an example for Brazil to see crime with intent. They [réus] they have taken risks countless times and these risks are taken by countless people who do not have the virtue of seeing others as lives, as people”, said Carvalho.
“What happened in these 9 years is what happens in practically all cases [semelhantes]. No one is convicted of eventual intent. It is necessary to stop this barbarism”, he added.
The fire inside the nightclub left 242 dead and 636 injured. The four defendants are two partners at the nightclub, Elissandro Callegaro Spohr and Mauro Londero Hoffmann; musician Marcelo de Jesus dos Santos and cultural producer Luciano Bonilha Leão, both members of the band Gurizada Fandangueira.
According to Paulo, the process – which has more than 20,000 pages – shows how the owners of Nightclub Kiss “violated the rules” of safety that should exist in the place, such as the visible availability of fire extinguishers and blocking the exit with “bars for iron, preventing young people from leaving without paying,” he says.
He also says that, on the part of the band, there was knowledge that the flag triggered by one of them could only be used outdoors.
“If they obeyed the minimum standards that exist in Brazil, the tragedy would not have happened”, he says.
“We never gave up, and finally they [réus] will be judged. We want them to be punished by the law and that this brings benefits and other cases”, declared Paulo Carvalho when commenting on his expectations of the judgment.
“People will not lose their children because the fear of punishment will inhibit other irresponsible people who are all over Brazil,” he said.
In addition, Carvalho also explained the Association’s plans to build a memorial to the victims at the site of the tragedy, in Santa Maria. According to him, the project is in the phase of elaborating the requirements for construction.
There is also the group’s concern for survivors. According to Paulo Carvalho, 20% of them have, to date, serious pulmonary sequelae from contact with toxic smoke resulting from the fire in the ceiling lining. Private initiative groups ensured that these young people received free medication, he said.
Reference: CNN Brasil
