Court Orders Bolsonaro to Indemnify Federal Deputy Within 15 Days

By Arkady Petrov

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A court has ruled that President Bolsonaro must pay compensation of R$10,000 (US$2,440) for moral damages to federal Deputy Maria do Rosário (PT-RS) within 15 days.

Judge Tatiana Dias da Silva Medina, of the 18th Civil Court of Brasília, also ordered that Bolsonaro publish a retraction for having said, in 2014, that the deputy “did not deserve to be raped because she was very ugly”.

The publication period begins this Friday.

The incident involving Bolsonaro and Maria do Rosário took place in 2014, with widespread media coverage.

In 2015, courts had ruled that Bolsonaro would pay a fine of R$10,000 for offenses against the deputy.

The president appealed, but Minister Marco Aurélio Mello decided, in February this year, to uphold the conviction imposed by the Court of the Federal District (TJDFT).

On a video posted on social networks, Maria do Rosário says that “it is a victory for respect, for dignity.” She says she will be distributing the indemnity money among organizations working for women’s rights.

The president’s advisor has not yet expressed his opinion on the matter.