Overview
- The Supreme Federal Court opened a virtual plenary on March 20 to decide whether the appeal has general repercussion, with the session scheduled to close on March 27.
- Relator Alexandre de Moraes cast the first vote to recognize broader constitutional relevance and suggested that violations of victims’ rights could invalidate evidence.
- Mariana Ferrer’s appeal says she was humiliated by the defense in a 2020 hearing without intervention from judicial authorities, compromising due process.
- The case stems from allegations against businessman André de Camargo Aranha, who was acquitted in first and second instances despite a forensic report indicating intercourse and his genetic material.
- If the Court affirms general repercussion, a later merits ruling could yield a binding thesis for all courts on limits to questioning in sexual-crime proceedings.