Two ex-police officers in Brazil have been given lengthy jail sentences for their involvement in the killing in 2005 of 29 people on Rio's outskirts.
The two men were sentenced to around 500 years, but the term is largely symbolic as under Brazilian law no-one can serve more than 30 years in prison.
Passing sentence, the judge said the crimes had shocked not only local people but Brazilian society.
Defence lawyers say they will contest the sentences, as the trial was unfair.
It was in March 2005 that 29 people, including women and children, died in two poor neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro in what became known as the Baixada massacre.
The exact reasons behind the killings were never fully explained, but one possible motive was anger among police officers over the arrest of some of their colleagues accused of involvement in two earlier murders.
Judge Elizabeth Louro said the attacks caused panic and despair because they were carried out by those whose job should have been to guarantee order and protect human life.
Prosecutors say a group of police officers opened fire on pedestrians, customers in a bar and a crowd in a public square.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8260354.stm
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
