A 13-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by members of a drug cartel who mistakenly believed she was the girlfriend of a rival drug trafficker. The teenager’s horrific ordeal was brought to an end by a phone call, after which her attackers realised their error and released her.
The young girl, who also faced threats and was “grazed by a bullet in the head”, was assaulted in São João de Meriti, located in the Baixada Fluminense region of Brazil, South America. Following the terrifying incident, which occurred in Predinhos, Vilar dos Teles, the girl was set free once her assailants discovered her true identity. However, she alleges that they threatened to kill her family if she reported the attack to the authorities.
Yesterday (February 11), the Rio Civil Police launched an operation to apprehend those involved. Investigations indicate that the girl was brought before a so-called “drug trafficking court” or “drug trafficking tribunal”.
It was here that the criminals allegedly decreed her brutal punishment. According to G1, seven individuals participated in the crime, including a teenager and a woman who held the girl down.
Forces sought to execute five arrest warrants and one search-and-seizure warrant for the juvenile suspect.
The adults were identified as Samir Luan Evangelista dos Santos, Matheus Eduardo da Silva Fernandes, Kalyne Aparecida Nascimento Teixeira, Fábio Rayan Santos de Jesus, and Wellington de Medeiros da Silva, who was already in custody.
Further details revealed that one of the seven was killed by the criminals, while another individual was arrested after being assaulted by them. It was noted that the arrested man, who had a criminal record for rape and drug trafficking, was discovered in hospital.
Officers from São João de Meriti Women’s Police Station (DEAM) explained that the victim lived near the Trio do Ouro community, reportedly controlled by the criminal organisation Terceiro Comando Puro or “Third Pure Command”.
She was said to have been in the area as she had relatives who lived there, but was mistakenly targeted as it was believed that she was the girlfriend of a member of Comando Vermelho or “Red Command”.
Explaining the incident to the police, the victim alleged that she was with a friend in the square when a group of men approached and compelled her to get into a vehicle.
The victim, who is in a stable condition, went to hospital for treatment and reportedly stayed there, being recently transferred to a health unit in a separate municipality for examination by a neurosurgery team.
Military police stressed that policing was reinforced in the area and that “cases of this nature are treated with absolute rigour, sensitivity, and respect for the victim”.
It was also noted by the civil police that, once they learned of the crime, DEAM teams immediately launched inquiries, reports O Globo.