caran- diru

02.10.1992 SP/br

Carandiru massacre

On October 2, 1992, at the São Paulo Detention House, police officers carried out the largest massacre in prisons in the history of Brazil, with 111 victims whose lives were under the responsibility of the State.

Photography: Sergio Silva
Photography: Sergio Silva

vítimas fatais

111 mortos

City

são paulo

date

02.10.1992

Status

awaiting consideration at the stf

Introduction

The Carandiru Massacre occurred on October 2, 1992, at the São Paulo Detention House, in the northern zone of the city. The police action, which fatally victimized at least 111 incarcerated individuals, began with a police intervention triggered with the aim of containing an alleged "riot."

Colonel Ubiratan Guimarães decided to deploy military police officers from the Tobias de Aguiar Ostensive Patrols (Rota), the Shock Troop, the Special Tactical Actions Group (Gate), and the Special Operations Command (COE). The order for the invasion was given within an hour. The massacre was triggered by the São Paulo military police's disproportionate use of force. A total of 341 Shock Troop police officers participated in Pavilion 9 of the prison.

Photography: Sergio Silva
Photography: Sergio Silva

The age range of the boys who died in Carandiru was 18 to 25 years old. Mostly black, had not been tried, they were detained as provisional prisoners.

Deise Benedito, former expert at the National Mechanism for the Prevention and Combat of Torture

REPORT from family members

The omission of information by the State, with delays even in the disclosure of the names of the deceased victims, marked the inhumane treatment of the relatives of the dead from the day of the massacre. Along with demands for justice, the families also sought compensation for material and moral damages. In the 2000s, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights held the Brazilian State responsible for the Carandiru massacre, but the Brazilian judiciary did not hold any authority accountable for the crimes. After 25 years since the case, only 43 families out of the 111 victims managed to receive compensation. Since 1992, the struggle of the families of incarcerated individuals has strengthened and continues to denounce the violations within prison walls.

Today, the work of the National Agenda for Decarceration is led by family members of people in prison.

Photography: Sergio Silva
Photography: Sergio Silva

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