The trial for the death of boy Henry Borel entered its phase this Saturday (30). sixth day The second jury trial in Rio de Janeiro began with the testimony phase of the defense witnesses for Monique Medeiros, accused of homicide and torture alongside former councilman Jairinho.
The first witness heard was Bryan Medeiros, Monique's brother. In his testimony, he reported being informed about Henry's health condition during a video call made by his sister in the early morning of March 8, 2021. According to Bryan, upon arriving at the hospital he found the child's father, Leniel Borel, "devastated, crying and lamenting a lot."
When questioned by Judge Elizabeth Machado Louro, Bryan stated that Monique never mentioned to family members that she knew or suspected any abuse against Henry.
'Monique was coached to lie in her first testimony,' said Henry's uncle.
Bryan also stated that his sister was instructed to lie in her initial police statement after Henry's death. According to him, the strategy was orchestrated by lawyer André França, who at the time represented both Monique and Jairinho.
“Monique was coached to lie in her first statement. We had no idea that this would be so extremely damaging. She changed the narrative of events after Henry's death,” the witness declared.
According to Bryan, the version initially presented by the defense placed Monique as the first person to wake up in the early morning hours when the child became ill. He claims the family was instructed to repeat this narrative.
Monique's brother also stated that he never observed any injuries or marks on his nephew's body during the time he spent with the child.
"His skin was very fair. If he had any blemishes, they would be very noticeable," he told the judges.
Bryan also reported that his sister said she was being excessively controlled by Jairinho. According to the witness, Monique said she believed she was being monitored and that her then-partner frequently showed jealousy towards Leniel Borel, Henry's father.
The order of the testimonies was determined after a court decision that stipulated Jairinho be questioned after Monique. Since the child's mother attributes responsibility for her son's death to the former councilman, the witnesses indicated by his defense were heard first.
Defense attempts to strengthen defendants' arguments.
The sixth day of the jury trial takes place after the long testimony given by Leniel Borel on Friday (29). For almost ten hours, Henry's father recalled the last moments with his son and stated that he believed the boy was the victim of a premeditated crime.
Leniel also reported finding the version presented by Monique and Jairinho on the night of the child's death strange. According to him, what caught his attention was the fact that Monique was identified as responsible for the resuscitation procedures, while Jairinho, who was a doctor at the time — his registration was revoked by the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) in 2024, after the case gained notoriety — was driving to the hospital.
The defense strategies are distinct. Monique's lawyers are trying to convince the jurors that she was unaware of the abuse suffered by her son and that she also lived in a relationship marked by violence and control. Jairinho's defense, on the other hand, seeks to contest expert evidence and argues that witnesses were influenced to incriminate the former councilman.
The trial is nearing its final stage.
In addition to Monique's defense witnesses, the Jury Court will also have to hear from people summoned by Jairinho's defense, including the former councilman's father, Colonel Jairo Souza Santos, and expert Leonardo Tauil, responsible for reports produced during the investigation.
After the testimonies conclude, the process will move on to the questioning of the defendants and the debates between the prosecution and the defense. The expectation is that the trial will enter its decisive phase in the coming days, with the verdict potentially being announced as early as next week.
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