Another ten policemen convicted over Carandiru prison massacre

Ten military police officers have been convicted in a court case over a police raid that killed eight inmates on the fifth floor of Block 9 of the now-defunct Carandiru penitentiary.

Nine policemen were each sentenced to 96 years in prison for aggravated murder, and another one was sentenced to a total 104 years inclusive of a former conviction. The judge has also ruled that the police officers who have remained on active duty lose their public office. Defendants may appeal at liberty.

It took jurors nearly four hours to answer the 550 ing questions that informed the sentence award, in connection with each of the victims.

The Carandiru massacre took place on October 2, 1992, when 111 inmates were killed and 87 wounded during a police raid to quell a riot in Block 9 of Carandiru penitentiary, north São Paulo city.

Because of the large number of defendants and victims concerned, the trial was split into four rounds. In the first round, which took place in April last year, 23 officers were each sentenced to 156 years for killing 13 inmates. In August the same year, 25 officers were each sentenced to 624 years in prison for the death of 52 inmates who were on the third floor of Block 9. In the third phase, which took place in February this year, the defense attorney, Celso Vendramini, left the courtroom during the hearing of the first defendant because he disagreed with the judge's approach, which led to the entire round being called off and rescheduled for March 31.

Translated by Mayra Borges