In a case that has drawn national attention, the Brazilian justice system has taken decisive action. A court in Maranhão has decreed the preventive detention of businesswoman Carolina Sthela Ferreira dos Anjos. This move came after a request from the Civil Police, who are investigating serious allegations of assault and torture against a 19-year-old domestic worker who was five months pregnant at the time of the alleged attacks.
The investigation was launched after the young victim filed a police report. She described a brutal ordeal, stating she was subjected to hair-pulling, punches, and being thrown to the floor. According to her testimony, the violence erupted after her employer accused her of stealing jewelry. The victim recounted that she desperately tried to protect her pregnant abdomen during the sustained assault. The alleged attacks continued even after the missing ring was later found in a laundry basket.
The case took a more disturbing turn with the emergence of audio messages. These recordings, allegedly sent by the employer herself and obtained by TV Mirante, were attached to the police inquiry. In one audio, the employer reportedly stated the victim "wasn't supposed to have come out alive." The recordings detail a prolonged attack involving the employer and an unidentified man, who allegedly arrived at the house armed.
The victim's account paints a picture of exploitative working conditions. She reported working nearly 10 hours a day, six days a week, for a total payment of R$ 750 for over two weeks of work. Her duties included cleaning, cooking, laundry, and childcare, with only a 30-minute break. Payments were allegedly made in fractions and through third-party accounts.
The case has also implicated local law enforcement. Four military police officers who initially responded to the incident have been removed from their duties. This action followed the release of audio in which the employer allegedly claimed she was not taken to the police station because she knew one of the responding officers. The officer in question reportedly noted the victim's bruises and said she should have been taken in.
Further investigation revealed a troubling history. The employer, Carolina Sthela, faces more than ten ongoing legal processes. In a 2024 case, she was convicted of slander for falsely accusing a former babysitter of theft, receiving a sentence that was converted to community service and a R$ 4,000 moral damages payment. The former babysitter claims this compensation has never been paid.
The Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) has classified the alleged crimes as aggravated torture, in addition to bodily harm, threats, and slander. The employer, through a statement, has said she is cooperating with the investigation and will present her version of events at the appropriate time. She also stated she repudiates any form of violence and requested there be no "premature judgment" while the case is being examined.
Based on reporting from g1.