Ricardo Dos Santos’ Murderer Gets 22 Years In Prison

On a Tuesday morning in January 2015, Ricardo dos Santos was murdered by an off-duty police officer outside of his home. He was shot down on the street and died in the hospital. With this, he became part of a monstrous statistic. It is estimated that nine people a day are killed by the Brazilian police force. 

Earlier this year, we flew down to Brazil and made a documentary on the death of Ricardo. What we uncovered was beyond that, it was the ongoing issue, the many stages of grief and the need for justice. Remember Ricardo, directed by our dear Beren Hall, we recommend you watch above. 

According to the English translation of an article on Brazil’s Waves (who have kept an in-depth documentation from Ricardo’s murder to the trial, read more here), “After two days of trial, former military police officer Luis Paulo Mota Brentano is sentenced to 22 years in prison for the death of Ricardo dos Santos. The defence request was 34 years for triple homicide.”  

The crime occurred after a discussion with Ricardo and his grandfather asked Officer Mota to move his car from a drainage ditch outside of their home. “Then the police officer fired two shots against the surfer, who died in the hospital the next day.”  

“According to the Diário Catarinense, because it is a decision in the first instance, there is a possibility of appeal by the defence. The defendant’s claim is that the shots were fired because the surfer had threatened him with a machete after disagreements. According to the jury’s vote, however, there was no self-defense on the part of the accused.”