Mothers of May takes legal action against use of video containing libel against activists
The material recorded in 2015 was used in the trial of the ‘Osasco massacre’ and in it the prosecutor makes baseless accusations against the mothers of victims of State violence
Débora Maria da Silva, fundadora do Mães de Maio.
The Mothers of May Movement has sent an official letter to the São Paulo State Attorney General asking for the prosecutor Ana Maria Frigério Molinari to be held liable for allegations against the activists that form the organization.
The document, signed with Conectas, asks the Public Prosecutor’s Office to take steps to remove from circulation a video recorded in 2015 in which the prosecutor makes baseless accusations against the mothers of victims of State crimes.
The material, used during the trial of law enforcement officers involved in the ‘Osasco Massacre”, had been denounced by the journalistic outlet Ponte Jornalismo in 2016, when it was ordered by the courts to remove the video.
In the letter, the organizations ask for the prosecutor to be held liable for unfounded claims, for Molinari to make a retraction to the Mothers of May Movement and for a block on the video in which she makes the allegations, as well as its use in legal cases.
Accusations without evidence
In the video, the prosecutor suggests that the Mothers of May is involved in the management of drug trafficking turfs and argues that the activists denounce police officers “who actually fight drug trafficking”, implying that the Movement has criminal connections.
At the time the allegations were made, Molinari was working for Gaeco (Special Operations Group for Combating Organized Crime). The Prosecutor has never presented any evidence to support her claims.
