Brazil's Senate approved on Wednesday (February 24) a bill deeming rape victims under 14 always vulnerable, regardless of their sexual history or resulting pregnancy. The proposal, now heading to presidential sanction, gained momentum following the controversial acquittal of a man accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in Minas Gerais.
Brazil's Senate passed, in a symbolic vote without nominal counting, the bill proposed by federal deputy Laura Carneiro (PSD-RJ). Rapporteur Senator Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA) stated that the absolute presumption of vulnerability 'reinforces the legislator's intention not to allow discussions that could distort the norm's purpose, focusing on protecting those incapable of consent, as unfortunately still occurs frequently in rulings from some state Courts of Justice in the country'.
The initiative had been stalled in the Senate since December 2024 but progressed following the backlash from a case in Minas Gerais. There, the 9th Specialized Criminal Chamber acquitted a 35-year-old man accused of raping a 12-year-old girl, citing a 'consensual affective bond'. The victim's mother was also acquitted of complicity, drawing nationwide criticism.
On Wednesday (February 25), Minas Gerais' Court of Justice overturned the ruling. Desembargador Magid Nauef Láuar accepted appeals from the Minas Gerais Public Prosecutor's Office (MPMG) and reinstated the convictions, leading to the arrest of the man and the girl's mother.
