The defense of the family of army corporal victim of femicide, Maria de Lourdes Freire Matos, 25, denies that the victim had a relationship with her killer, soldier Kelvin Barros da Silva, 21.
“It is false that Maria had any relationship with the attacker,” said the office which defends the victim’s family in a statement published on social networks.
The family believes that the fact that Maria was a corporal and held a higher position than Kelvin, who was a soldier, may have motivated the crime.
“This context testifies to the non-acceptance of female authority. Maria was lured, stabbed and set on fire on the spot, in a context of extreme violence directed against her status as a woman”, underlined the defense of the victim’s family. The 25-year-old was described as discreet, serious and focused on her studies.
Army soldier Kelvin Barros da Silva, 21, who killed the corporal, saw his arrest for the act transformed into preventive this Saturday (12/06) after undergoing a custody hearing at the Custody Hearing Center (NAC).
The crime
Maria de Lourdes was a corporal in the army, having entered service five months ago as a musician. She was found dead by firefighters (CBMDF).
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The victim was identified as 25-year-old Maria de Lourdes Freire.
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He is also part of the 1st Guard Cavalry Regiment.
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Maria de Lourdes Freire Matos
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Kelvin Barros is an army soldier
Reproduction
The feminicide occurred in the 1st Guards Cavalry Regiment (RCG). In a statement to the Civil Police (PCDF), Barros confessed to being responsible and said that the crime occurred after an argument between the two.
According to Barros, they were having an extramarital affair. “After an argument in which the woman asked him to break up with his current girlfriend and take her back, as promised by the perpetrator, the victim pulled out his firearm,” commented delegate Paulo Noritika.
“He allegedly held the pistol while she tried to load it. In the meantime, he managed to reach the victim’s military knife, which was on her waist, and hit her deeply in the neck,” detailed the delegate.
Noritika further said that the victim was found with a sharp weapon at the scene of the injury. “After that, in desperation, he grabbed a lighter and some alcohol, set fire to where the group was based and fled, taking the gun with him and getting rid of it,” he said. Firefighters were called to put out the flames.
Expelled from the army
The soldier who confessed to killing Corporal Maria de Lourdes Freire Matos, 25, this Friday (12/05), will be expelled from the army.
In a note sent to Metropoles, the army said that the soldier was immediately taken to the prison of the Brasilia Army Police Battalion, where he remains incarcerated, “in response to criminal proceedings, and should be excluded from the ranks of the Force and held responsible for the act committed.”
“The Brazilian Army provides its full support to the family and deeply regrets the loss of the corporal and reiterates its position of not supporting criminal acts and rigorously punishing those responsible,” the note said.
According to the text, a military police investigation (IPM) was opened. “The investigations began immediately, with on-site investigations carried out by the Armed Police, the Civil Police and the Federal District Fire Brigade, as well as other investigations which led to the arrest of the suspect of having committed the crime,” informed the Army.