The trial of Jairo Souza Santos Júnior, known as Jairinho, and Monique Medeiros for the death of 4-year-old Henry Borel enters a stage considered decisive by the prosecution this Friday (29). The Rio de Janeiro Jury Court will hear the experts responsible for the reports that indicate that the injuries found on the child's body are incompatible with a domestic accident.
The testimonies of forensic pathologist Luiz Airton Saavedra de Paiva and expert Luiz Carlos Leal Prestes are considered central to the case. Both maintain, in reports attached to the case file, that the injuries identified on Henry indicate physical assault and were not caused by the resuscitation attempts performed at Barra D'Or Hospital.
The trial is taking place at the 2nd Jury Court of the Capital, in downtown Rio, and has already reached its fifth day of sessions. By Thursday evening (28), ten of the 27 scheduled witnesses had been heard by the court.
Testimonies from former partners marked the hearing.
Thursday was dominated by testimonies from women who had relationships with Jairinho, as well as professionals who worked with the couple before Henry's death.
The first witness of the day was Kaylane de Oliveira Duarte Pereira, 18, daughter of Natasha Machado, the former girlfriend of the ex-councilman. She recounted memories of alleged abuse suffered in childhood and stated that the Henry case brought back traumatic memories.
According to Kaylane, Jairinho would assault her when the two were alone. The young woman recounted episodes in which she was allegedly punched in the head and pushed under the weight of a swimming pool until she hit the bottom.
The witness also stated that she began to feel guilty after Henry's death, believing that if she had reported the events earlier, the outcome could have been different. She further stated that Jairinho said her presence interfered with his relationship with his mother.
Ex-girlfriend reports harassment and intimidation.
Subsequently, Natasha de Oliveira Machado confirmed her daughter's account and stated that she only became aware of the abuse after the end of her relationship with Jairinho.
She stated that she did not contact the police at the time because she believed that the political influence of the former city councilor and his father would prevent any progress on the allegations. Natasha also reported episodes of harassment after the end of the relationship.
According to the witness, Jairinho used to stay near her residence and allegedly made psychological threats and publicly humiliated her. Natasha also stated that she was the target of intimidation after an intimate photo was leaked.
During her testimony, she denied receiving any instructions from Leniel Borel, Henry's father, to give testimony at the trial.
Witness claims son revealed abuse.
Another witness heard was Débora Mello Saraiva, who had a relationship with Jairinho between 2014 and 2020.
She stated that her son revealed episodes of aggression after watching television reports about the death of Henry Borel. According to Débora, the child said that Jairinho had stepped on his stomach and laughed at the situation.
Débora also accused the former city councilman of sexual violence. In her testimony, she stated that she had been drugged during an incident that occurred while she was at home.
The witness began their testimony by saying that they still feel fear and anger towards the accused because of situations they claim to have experienced during the relationship.
Employees reported Monique's behavior on the day of her death.
The domestic worker Leila Rosângela de Souza Mattos, who worked for Jairinho and Monique between January and March 2021, stated that she never witnessed arguments or aggression in the couple's apartment.
She recounted that, on the day of Henry's death, she received a call from Monique letting her leave work early. Upon leaving the building, she said she encountered the boy's mother arriving and stating that the child had died.
Hairdresser Tereza Cristina dos Santos reported an incident that occurred in February 2021, a date cited by the prosecution as a possible prior case of assault.
According to her, Henry appeared on a video call complaining of pain and stating that "his uncle" had given him "a band." The witness also said that Monique inquired about stores that sold surveillance cameras, but continued the service at the salon as normal before deciding to leave.
Manicurist Paloma dos Santos Meireles confirmed the information presented by the hairdresser and stated that Monique appeared nervous after receiving a call from Jairinho while she was at the establishment.
The trial is expected to last another week.
With only ten witnesses heard so far, participants in the trial expect the process to continue for several more days.
After the testimony phase from experts and prosecution witnesses, the Court will hear the defense witnesses indicated by the defendants. Among the names expected is that of Leniel Borel, Henry's father.
Next, Jairinho and Monique will be questioned in plenary session before the final debates between the prosecution and the defense. Only after this stage will the jury decide the verdict in the case.
The trial is expected to continue throughout next week until the proceedings are concluded.
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