In a significant legal development, a court in Minas Gerais, Brazil, has ruled that one of the men accused in the death of Alice Martins Alves will face a popular jury trial. The decision marks a crucial step in the case that began with a tragic incident over an unpaid restaurant bill.
Arthur Caique Benjamin de Souza has been pronounced for qualified homicide. The court found sufficient evidence that he directly participated in the brutal assault on Alice, a 33-year-old transgender woman. The attack occurred in the Savassi neighborhood of Belo Horizonte in October 2025, after she left a lanchonete without settling a R$22 debt.
However, the presiding judge, Ana Carolina Rauen Lopes de Souza, made a key distinction in the legal classification. She rejected the prosecution's request to add the qualifier of femicide motivated by transphobia. The court's reasoning was that the available evidence points to the debt as the primary motive, not the victim's gender identity. The judge also did not accept the classification of using cruel means, though she acknowledged the violence was severe.
The case details are harrowing. According to the investigation, Alice was pursued by two employees from the establishment and beaten with punches and kicks. She suffered critical injuries, including broken ribs, a deviated nasal septum, and a perforated intestine. A passing motorcyclist intervened, likely saving her life at the scene by calling for medical help.
Despite receiving initial treatment and being released, Alice's condition deteriorated. She sought further medical care in the following days as internal injuries worsened. Tragically, she died 19 days after the attack from septic shock caused by a generalized infection linked to the intestinal perforation.
The second individual accused in the case, Willian Gustavo de Jesus do Carmo, was not indicted. The judge determined there was insufficient proof he participated in the physical assault, noting he had "remained distant" and was "laughing and mocking the situation."
While Arthur Caique Benjamin de Souza will stand trial, he will do so while free. He was released from preventive detention under strict conditions, including wearing an electronic ankle monitor for at least one year, maintaining a 300-meter distance from witnesses and the victim's family, and not leaving the state capital for extended periods without judicial permission.
The jury trial, where seven citizens will decide the verdict, does not yet have a scheduled date. The court maintained the qualifiers of futile motive and a method that hindered the victim's defense, citing the insignificant debt and Alice's vulnerable state due to alcohol intoxication at the time.
Based on reporting from g1.