Brazil's Senate approved on Wednesday (March 25) a bill classifying vicaricídio as a heinous crime, with 20 to 40 years imprisonment. Inspired by the killing of two brothers in Itumbiara (GO), it integrates the Maria da Penha Law and awaits presidential sanction.
Brazil's Federal Senate approved on March 25, 2026, a bill defining 'vicaricídio' — the murder of a woman's children, stepchildren, or relatives to punish or control her — as a heinous crime. The penalty is 20 to 40 years imprisonment plus a fine, exceeding that for qualified homicide (12 to 30 years). Proposed by Representative Laura Carneiro (PSD-RJ) and reported by Senator Margareth Buzetti (PP-MT), the text amends the Penal Code, Maria da Penha Law, and Heinous Crimes Law. It passed symbolically, opposed by the Republicanos bloc, and heads to President Lula (PT) for sanction after Chamber approval last week. The rapporteur made it an autonomous penal type to ease registration and statistics, arguing it fixes legal gaps and boosts prevention. 'By expressly recognizing this practice in the legal system and calibrating penal and protective consequences, the bills correct a gap that today relies on inconsistent interpretive arrangements,' Buzetti said. Penalties increase by one-third to half if committed in the woman's presence, against children, elderly, or disabled persons, or violating protective orders. Momentum built after the Itumbiara case on February 11: Municipal Secretary Thales Machado killed his sons Miguel (12) and Benício (8) while they slept, sending photos to wife Sarah Araújo — daughter of Mayor Dione Araújo (União Brasil) — before suicide. In a posthumous letter, he cited marital issues and suspected infidelity. During debate, Senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF) questioned coverage of women harming children to target husbands; Buzetti countered that male cases predominate, with other penal provisions applying inversely. In the Chamber, PL labeled it 'misandric,' per Representative Carlos Jordy (PL-SP).
