Conectas appeals to the UN over deaths of a child and a teenager during a police operation in Santos

The deaths during a Military Police Operation in the Baixada Santista region are indicative of how the use of lethal force disproportionately affects Black and disenfranchised communities

Foto: Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil

Conectas sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations on Monday (18), requesting international action to investigate the killings of Ryan da Silva Andrade Santos, aged 4, and Gregory Ribeiro Vasconcelos, aged 17, who died during a Military Police operation in the Baixada Santista region.

The submission was addressed to the UN Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial executions, racial justice, and racism, requesting a response to the increasing police lethality in the region, which disproportionately affects Black and disenfranchised communities.

The appeal focuses on a police operation in Morro de São Bento, in Santos (SP), carried out on November 5, during which gunfire resulted in the deaths of Ryan da Silva Andrade Santos, a 4-year-old child, and Gregory Ribeiro Vasconcelos, a 17-year-old teenager. The circumstances of the operation are disputed by the local community, who question the police claim of armed resistance.

Conectas highlighted the severity of the systemic issues in São Paulo´s public security policies, pointing to a troubling pattern of police violence and institutional racism. “Ryan´s death is emblematic of a broader crisis,” the organization stated, noting that Ryan´s father, Leonel Andrade Santos, was one of 84 victims of previous operations in the region.

The submission contains a detailed outline of urgent recommendations to the Brazilian authorities including:

1. The obligatory use of body cams: Ensuring that all police operations are recorded in order to increase transparency and accountability.
2. Independent investigations: Guaranteeing impartial investigations into deaths caused by security forces, with focus on the prevention of the undue use of lethal force.
3. Support for families: Providing reparation and wide-ranging assistance to the families of victims.
4. Temporary reassignment of officers: Suspension from operational duties to avoid potential conflict of interest and the offer of psychological support to all the professionals affected.

Citing data from the Brazilian Forum on Public Security and UNICEF, Conectas highlighted the alarming rate of fatalities among teenagers, caused by the police, and emphasized the urgent need for systemic reform. The organization also called on the UN to issue a public statement to draw worldwide attention to the situation and put pressure Brazilian authorities to comply with international human rights standards.