The conduct of the trial for the murder of Angela Denise, in the late 1970s, still sparks outrage decades later. Even after 47 years, one of the theses used by the defense to guarantee a reduced sentence for the killer – the so-called legitimate defense of honor – officially ceased to exist until 2023, when the International Criminal Court banned its use in any Brazilian court.
The case is back in the spotlight with the premiere of Angela Diniz: Assassinada e Condenada, a new series on HBO Max, inspired by the Praia dos Ossos podcast. The production revisits the crime and reveals the most controversial aspects of the street trial of Raul “Duca”, who was Angela’s boyfriend when he killed her.
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Marjorie Estiano stars as Angela Diniz and Emilio Dantas stars as Rue Duca in Angela Diniz: Assassinada e Condenada – HBO Max
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Marjorie Estiano stars as Angela Diniz and Emilio Dantas stars as Rue Duca in Angela Diniz: Assassinada e Condenada – HBO Max
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Antonio Fagundes to Play Evandro Lenz in Angela Diniz: Murdered and Convicted – HBO Max
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Emílio Dantas as Doca Street in Angela Diniz: Murdered and Condemned – HBO Max
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Marjorie Estiano stars as Angela Denise in Angela Denise: Murdered and Convicted – HBO Max
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The thesis was used in the Angela Diniz case
The legitimate defense of honor was a legal strategy to reduce the sentences of men who killed their partners. The thesis claimed that the aggressor’s response was to “preserve his honor,” often relying on the idea of jealousy, betrayal, or behavior considered “reprehensible” on the part of the victim.
In Angela’s case, this account directly influenced the outcome of the first Duca Street trial, in which she was sentenced to just two years in prison. During his trial, the thesis strategy became clear when they claimed that the defendant was “controlled by an uncontrollable passion” while putting Angela in a guilty position.
Social activist Angela Deniz was murdered by her boyfriend in 1976
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After the conviction, the movements spread the slogan “He who loves does not kill,” which became a symbol of the fight against impunity and gender-based violence.
Public pressure on the case led to the reopening of the case against Doka Street. He went to the dock in 1981 and ended up serving 15 years in prison for murder, when there is intent to kill. Of this sentence, he served approximately three years in a closed system, two years in a semi-open system, and the remainder on parole.
Although considered misogynistic, this thesis has permeated Brazilian courts for decades and has been decisive in many femicide cases. Only in 2023 did the Supreme Federal Court (STF) declare this thesis unconstitutional, banning its use and stating that it violates fundamental rights, such as equality, dignity and life.
Angela Diniz: murdered and convicted
The series Angela Diniz: Murdered and Convicted, on HBO Max, directed by Andrucha Waddington, revisits the last years of the socialite’s life and shows how her story still reflects the dilemmas of women’s freedom and gender violence in Brazil. The plot was inspired by the podcast Bone Beach.
Starring Marjorie Estiano and Emilio Dantas, the series also includes Antonio Fagundez, Thiago Lacerda, Camila Mardella, Yara de Novaes, Telmo Fernandez, Renata Gaspar, and Joaquim Lopez.
The production debuted on HBO Max on November 13 with the release of two episodes. In total, the series consists of six episodes that move back and forth in time to show the beginning of the relationship between Angela and Duca and his trial after the crime.
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