Marcius Melhem is outraged by the new update of the lawsuit against Dani Calabresa and other women who accuse him of sexual harassment. According to a report published by Veja, prosecutor Isabela Jourdan da Cruz Moura was included in the trial to assist in the case. The comedian and former Globo actor says the decision was biased.
During a live broadcast last Wednesday (7/12), Melhem declared that the accusers would hold a “secret meeting” with Luciano Mattos, Attorney General of the Prosecutor of Rio de Janeiro. He claims that the meeting would have favored the choice of the new prosecutor. “Did something happen in the case that justified this premature appointment?”, He asked on the air.
“What happened after a meeting that the prosecutor’s attorneys had with the prosecution? […] They were also received in Brasilia. […] They even took a camera, documentary filmmakers. All disclosed in advance, with photos and videos of each meeting. Why was their meeting with the Attorney General’s office covered up since he was a Republican?”
Melhem has been under investigation since 2019 for allegations made by the girl group. In order for the plaintiff to become a defendant, justice will have to accept a complaint filed by the new prosecutor. “He is not the first person who will take action predisposed to accuse me. Usually they read and leave. Why does no one give an end, what would be the filing? The truth is that the pressure is very great,” he argued.
In the Veja report, Melhem’s defense team highlighted the matter as unfavorable to the comedian. “The designation of a prosecutor to act in a specific investigation of another prosecutor’s office, in which there is an acting prosecutor, directly violates the constitutional guarantee of the natural prosecutor,” they said. “This special designation, without just cause, violates the fundamental principle of due process, to the extent that the State is allowing the State to choose who will accuse the citizen under investigation, according to the expediency of the situation.”
enlightened meeting
In response to Melhem’s complaints, the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecution clarified that the meeting with his accusers did indeed take place, but it was not secret. “The meeting was formalized at the request of the Victims Support Center (NAV/MP-RJ), a body that promotes liaison between victims and prosecutors, and which has requested a hearing of the Attorney General with the countless victims.” in a communicated statement. “They asked for speed in the analysis by the institution”.
The public body also said that the inclusion of Isabela Jourdan da Cruz Moura, chief deputy of the 1st Prosecutor’s Office for criminal investigations into domestic violence in the Oeste/Jacarepaguá area in Rio de Janeiro, does not violate the legislation . “The designation was made on the basis of internal laws and regulations, which attribute such powers to the PGJ, without violating the natural attorney”, concludes the text.
Similarly, RJ’s Attorney General’s Office defended the inclusion of the prosecutor to assist in the action. “Given that the titular attorney is absent, the designation of the member who will act is the attorney general of justice, who will be able to choose the substitute. […] She was appointed to specifically assist in the procedure,” the prosecutor’s office said.
The pronouncement of the accusers
The group of women led by Dani Calabresa also took a stand and highlighted the seriousness of the situation. “The case brings together nearly two dozen people, men and women, including victims and witnesses, and will be a great example of the response justice can give to society in sexual harassment cases,” they said.
“We understand and respect that the trial has its time, but we trust the Brazilian judiciary that, two and a half years after the opening of the investigation, this response will arrive quickly, up to what an emblematic case like this requires for the victims and for society,” they added.
start of the case
The Melhem case came to light in December 2019, in a note from journalist Leo Dias. In March 2020, Grupo Globo’s compliance committee acquitted the comedian of the charges. Even so, the company terminated its contract with the station’s department head at the time, releasing a giveaway text on the pro in August.
In October 2020, the allegations against Melhem ceased to be rumors and took on the weight of a complaint from a lawyer, Mayra Cotta, who presented herself as a representative of the allegedly harassed women on the pages of the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper. In December, Piauí magazine published the first report on the case, full of detailed information – some debunked – on cases of harassment by Melhem against former employees, in particular Dani Calabresa.
The publication generated social anger against Melhem, who filed a lawsuit against the magazine, the lawyer, Calabresa and several fellow comedians who called him an abuser. The case attracts special attention due to this detail. It was not the alleged victims, but the defendants who decided to clarify things by making an extrajudicial interpellation with Dani Calabresa in December 2020 to confirm or deny the content of the article by Piauí magazine, which does not cite sources or use statements in quotation marks . It was only after the lawyer filed a harassment prosecution against the comedian.
Melhem then began to give interviews and to present the messages exchanged with Calabresa as proof of his version of events. The messages presented to Folha and the Record network showed that the two maintained an intimate and friendly relationship between 2017 and 2019, a period in which, according to Piauí magazine, he allegedly morally and sexually harassed the actress.
Two days later, Calabresa’s defense filed a lawsuit to prevent the disclosure of the lyrics and audio, and with a non-pecuniary claim for Melhem who had revealed private conversations. The allegation is that the actress was seeing her “intimate life devastated”.
Almost two years passed, but Justice rejected Calabresa’s request, giving Melhem the right to defend himself in the media, where he was attacked.
Latest updates
Although the investigation initially filed reports of eight women, one of those involved said she never came forward as a victim. Suzana Pires said she was only one witness willing to continue cooperating, which narrowed the charges to seven. She remains involved in the process, but she is no longer represented by the staff of the group.
According to Veja, the accusers represented by the lawyer Mayra Cotta are faced with the challenge of proving the coherence of the allegations made. Meanwhile, the investigation report is still being prepared by Alriam Miranda Fernandes, delegate at the Specialized Police Stations for Women (DEAM).
The situation includes a very complex issue discussed in the media. However, the lack of similar cases for judicial analysis in Brazil makes the process even more difficult.
Source: Terra
I am Amanda Gans, a motivated and ambitious professional in the news writing industry. With over five years of experience in this field, I have developed an eye for detail and an ability to craft stories that captivate readers. I currently write for Gossipify, where I specialize in beauty & celebrities news. My passion lies with exploring the world of beauty through writing, interviewing experts and developing articles that are both informative and entertaining.
