Man accused of killing 42 boys is sentenced

[Eunuken (imported)]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15413112/

Man accused of killing 42 boys is sentenced

Brazilian gets 20 years in first of what could be more trials

The Associated Press

Updated: 7:41 a.m. PT Oct 25, 2006

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - A man accused of being Brazil's most prolific serial killer was sentenced on Wednesday to more than 20 years in prison in the first of 42 possible trials for the slaying and mutilation of boys.

Francisco das Chagas Rodrigues de Brito, a 41-year-old bicycle mechanic, was given 19 years for homicide and 1 year and eight months for hiding the body of the 15-year-old victim, the court said in statement.

Chagas now faces trial for 41 other murders committed between 1991 and 2003 in Maranahao and the neighboring Amazon state of Para. Prosecutors say several victims were castrated. No date has been set for the next trials.

Chagas could have been sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for killing Jonathan Silva Vieira, but Judge Marcio Castro Brandao took account of testimony from psychologists that the defendant suffered from a mental disorder and was not completely in control of his actions, the court said.

The sentence was handed down following a trial that lasted just over two days.

Confession at trial

At the trial's opening, Chagas confessed to killing Silva in December 2003, saying sexual abuse he suffered as a child drove him to kill. Chagas told judge he didn't remember details.

Chagas was arrested in 2004 and charged with the murders of two young boys whose remains were found buried beneath the dirt floor of his shack in a poor neighborhood. Vieira's body was found later in a wooded area.

During the trial, the victim's mother Rita de Cassia Vieira told the court her son had said he was going to pick fruit with Chagas on the day he was killed.

"The monster tried to help out the mothers of the children he killed because he was looking for victims," Vieira testified Tuesday.

She added that she showed Chagas a picture of her son after he disappeared and Chagas laughed and told her he hadn't seen him: "It seemed like he was laughing at my suffering."

The trial was held in the auditorium of a local club in Sao Jose de Ribamar, some 1,400 miles northeast of Rio de Janeiro, because the courtroom wasn't big enough to hold the hundreds of victims' relatives.

Case had most evidence

Prosecutors say they charged Silva with Vieira's murder first because it was the case in which they had the most evidence.

Chagas repeatedly has confessed and then retracted confessions to the killings of 30 boys in Maranhao state and 12 others in neighboring Para state between 1991 and 2003.

The murders created terror in the two states, where many speculated the victims had been killed in black magic rituals because most of the boys had been found castrated.

Local human rights groups accused police of not doing enough to solve the crimes because most of the victims were poor.

To date, Brazil's worst confirmed serial killer is Marcelo Costa de Andrade, known as the Niteroi Vampire, who was convicted in 1991 of killing 14 children in a city near Rio de Janeiro.

[Kangan (imported)]

I am wondering if this guy was killing his victims as the ultimate power trip or just killing them so they could not report the crime. It sort of sounds like this guy was a murderer who also was also a pedophile.

Pedophiles come in two types - the sadist variety and the boy lover variety.

However, I sometimes wonder if making pedophia a crime causes the otherwise non-violent boy lover type pedophile to commit murder afterwards as a way to avoid detection.

Some folks claim that pedophiles damage their victims emotionally, but I think this is only true in a few cases. In addition, some of the so called victims were willing partners, or even encouraged the sex acts that followed. (I'm treading in deep water now!)

On the other hand, the sadistic types give pedophilia a bad name and rightfully should be dealt with by the Law, but I do wish that there was a relaxation of the witch hunt mentallity shown by folks like Adam Walsh.

[kristoff]

Pedophiles come in two types - the sadist variety and the boy lover variety.

They also come in the variety of liking girls; heterosexual (about 95% of all "pedophiles") as well as homosexual.

(Pedophile is an often over-used and abused word -- anyone looking cross-wise or even admiringly at some kid is suddenly viewed as a potential pedophile. Thank you, femi-nazis.

However, I sometimes wonder if making pedophia a crime causes the otherwise non-violent boy lover type pedophile to commit murder afterwards as a way to avoid detection.

Generally the research data does not bear this out. The murderous types generally have a much different perspective of their victims than do those who pursue young folks as partners.

Some folks claim that pedophiles damage their victims emotionally, but I think this is only true in a few cases. In addition, some of the so called victims were willing partners, or even encouraged the sex acts that followed. (I'm treading in deep water now!)

I suspect that you are quite right. Of course, most of the undamaged ones are never heard from. And most of those who ARE heard from, are more damaged by the feminazis who make it an issue, and torment a kid into trauma. There are those who do in fact experience such things traumatically, and should be treated as such. By no means do I advocate adult-child sexual activity as a general rule, but I do believe that much of it is politically grossly over-played.

On the other hand, the sadistic types give pedophilia a bad name and rightfully should be dealt with by the Law, but I do wish that there was a relaxation of the witch hunt mentallity shown by folks like Adam Walsh.

Adam Walsh, while I understand his pain, has never allowed it to rest, to truly bury his son. He's consumed by Rage and Hatred, I believe, and lives his life as a vendetta. In that respect he is a very cold-hearted man, I suspect.

[Kangan (imported)]

Femi-nazi. I wish I had thought of that term.

History tends to repeat - I see us sliding deeper and deeper into an ear like the old Salem witch trial days. The latest round of legislation banning sexual predators from living in certain places is just the beginning. Branded on the forehead with the scarlet letter will be next....

Today, just the accusation of sexual misconduct is enough to get you shunned by most folks.

I do think that the shrinks are wrong when they say that sexual predators cannot be cured. We only hear about the ones who repeat.

[BossTamsin (imported)]

This is something that actually bothers me greatly. Supposedly we live in a society where people are innocent until proven guilty. That no longer holds true.

If you are accused of rape, child pornography, or pedophilia and the press finds out, your life is over. It doesn't matter how spurious the accusations are. They could be levelled by someone with a grudge even, it doesn't matter. Once the press finds out, you are guilty. You could hire Matlock, and he could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt you didn't do it, and your life is still over. The newspapers that proclaimed your guilt in huge headlines on the front page will bury the verdict of your innocence on page 72, next to the weather. People will always look at you sideways, and believe you secretly did it and got away with it.

Want to put your money where your mouth is, in terms of innocent until proven? Then hide the accused's name until the trial is over. After all, papers aren't allowed to reveal the victim's name in rape trials (at least in some areas), so why not afford the same protection to the other INNOCENT party. And make no mistake, until that trial ends, they are innocent.

(And hell, in the current climate of witchhunts and paranoia, I'd even say keep hiding the accused's name even after the trial ends, if they're found not guilty.)

[Geotarr (imported)]

I agree that the press has too much power in that respect and often acts like a raving animal when presented with so juicy a case as pedophelia. Everyone has a right to privacy, but everyone also has the right to be informed, especially when the safety of their children are concerned. Imagine this: With the current judicial system in the USA, someone who raped a child could get away with something so small as not being read his rights completely. He's off the hook, PERIOD. He then moves to YOUR neighborhood, and as these things go, desires to repeat the act. Wouldn't you, a parent, want to know such a thing?

(This isn't finished, I'll continue later.)

[BossTamsin (imported)]

I agree that the press has too much power in that respect and often acts like a raving animal when presented with so juicy a case as pedophelia. Everyone has a right to privacy, but everyone also has the right to be informed, especially when the safety of their children are concerned. Imagine this: With the current judicial system in the USA, someone who raped a child could get away with something so small as not being read his rights completely. He's off the hook, PERIOD. He then moves to YOUR neighborhood, and as these things go, desires to repeat the act. Wouldn't you, a parent, want to know such a thing?

(This isn't finished, I'll continue later.)

However on the flip side, what if you are accused of being a closet pedophile by a jealous ex? The papers find out, and your life has been destroyed.

Quite honestly, I don't see a way to protect the innocent without unfortunately opening the system up to abuses such as those you have described.

It would take years to study and determine a more appropriate setup for situations like rape, pedophilia, etc. However, there isn't even a discussion going on, and anyone attempting to even start one is usually shouted down as 'siding with those bastards', or looked at askance as someone who may be a rapist/pedophile/whatever themseves, and are serving their own goals.

[Taylor (imported)]

It is unfortunate that a mere accusation will forever place a person's reputation and honor under a dark cloud; no matter what happens, the taint of the accusation will never go away.

As for the discussion of whether pedophiles only commit a crime because their perversion (let's make no mistake about that) is illegal? That's like saying a murderer is only a criminal because murder is illegal.

Whether or not a pedophile is violent or non-violent, whether or not a child is physically or mentally scared, all pedophiles should be hanged and their bodies left on display at the gates of the city as a warning. There is no way to soft pedal what these monsters do. Yes, I said MONSTERS! Pedophiles are self-centered predators, lower than maggots. I have NO compassion or mercy for pedophile scum. May they all rot in hell.

[A-1 (imported)]

They also come in the variety of liking girls; heterosexual (about 95% of all "pedophiles") as well as homosexual.

The younger a child victim is the less the sexual preference makes any difference. Generally, it is about power with pediophiles. They feel like they have a'right' to damage and/or to kill children.

(Pedophile is an often over-used and abused word -- anyone looking cross-wise or even admiringly at some kid is suddenly viewed as a potential pedophile. Thank you, femi-nazis.

Generally the research data does not bear this out. The murderous types generally have a much different perspective of their victims than do those who pursue young folks as partners.

Yes, but when the situation gets out of control they kill the child to keep them quiet. Generally, they kill to keep from being 'outed' because of the shame involved.

I suspect that you are quite right. Of course, most of the undamaged ones are never heard from. And most of those who ARE heard from, are more damaged by the feminazis who make it an issue, and torment a kid into trauma. There are those who do in fact experience such things traumatically, and should be treated as such. By no means do I advocate adult-child sexual activity as a general rule, but I do believe that much of it is politically grossly over-played.

Again, the issue is being 'outed'. The adult gets the child's trust and after tampering with the child, (Or young adolescent) the peodiophile convinces the child not to tell by whatever means necessary.

Krister, if you think THAT don't mess up a kid, of EITHER sex, you need to re-assess your philosophy. IT messes up the little GIRLs and the little BOYs. It IS a political issue because the child who is abused grows into the adult who becomes an abuser, unless the child has a STRONG constitution. This is similar to an alcoholic family in which the child becomes a tea totaler because they have been a caretaker of the family for so long.

Bottom line, think what you will, but abused children like Adult Children of Alcoholics carry the scars of childhood all of their lives and have to work HARD to overcome them. Look that Florida's Rep. Foley. HE is fucked-up now, isn't he?

You cannot absolve abusers when they are adults, but you can work to be sure that the cycle cannot continue into the next generation.

Adam Walsh, while I understand his pain, has never allowed it to rest, to truly bury his son. He's consumed by Rage and Hatred, I believe, and lives his life as a vendetta. In that respect he is a very cold-hearted man, I suspect.

Krister, you cannot understand the pain unless this happened to you...

On July 27th 1981, John and Reve Walsh launched what is still considered today the largest manhunt for a missing child in the state of Florida. But two weeks later when Adam's severed head was discovered in an irrigation canal by two fisherman, one hundred miles away in Vero Beach, the harsh reality set in. Ronald Wright, the Broward County medical examiner ruled Adam's death a result of asphyxiation; the severing of his head was done post mortem. But Wright believes that Adam was more than likely murdered the very day he disappeared.

Mindful of the fact that Adam's remains could help catch his killer, the Walshes held a Mass of Angels for their son days later with only a symbolic casket. No burial followed. Adam's skull rests, to this day, at the Medical Examiner's office in Broward County.

So, you want to talk about closure? Do ya? huh?

HERE, READ IT! (http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=39789)

It is a heart break for John and Reve Walsh, who will never know what really happened to Adam, why it happened, and most importantly to have his remains so that they can lay him to rest.

So we come full circle. How do you tell a (mere?) child molester from a child killer. Well, it is hard before the panic sets in when they know that their victim can identify them.

Krister, you have been around enough criminals. I don't know, maybe you still are. Next time you get around a murderer who killed in the heat of passion the first time, ask them if they got up the morning of their crime planning on killing.

That only happens after they find out how easy it is for them to do have done the first and to have gotten away with it. The second is easier, and the third and so forth until they finally get caught.

However, the first is always an accident... more or less...after the selfish gratification they get after the molestation, or the repeated molestation ends...

A-1

[kristoff]

Originally Posted by kristoff

They also come in the variety of liking girls; heterosexual (about 95% of all "pedophiles") as well as homo

sexual.

Originally Posted by A-1

The younger a child victim is the less the sexual preference makes any difference. Generally, it is about power with pediophiles. They feel like they have

a'right' to damage and/or to kill children.

For many, they do actually express a preference, though a number of them do not, and don’t care who they molest. I’ve generally found that child molesters (non-violent types, both incesters and non family molesters, as opposed to violent rapists) tend to be acting out more with their psychosocial age-mates. Most are that stunted in their emotional development, despite often being functional in the workaday world. I have never been able to successfully determine the real reason for the focus of particular ages for the more violent types especially other than age-focused trauma. I do not believe it is solely an issue of “power” but decidedly does involve sexual thrill, especially for the violent types (focusing ANY victim).

Originally Posted by kristoff

(Pedophile is an often over-used and abused word -- anyone looking cross-wise or even admiringly at some kid is suddenly viewed as a potential pedophile. Thank you, femi-nazis.

Generally the research data does not bear this out. The murderous types generally have a much different perspective of their vic

tims than do those who pursue young folks as partners.

Originally Posted by A-1

Yes, but when the situation gets out of control they kill the child to keep t

hem quiet. Generally, they kill to keep from being 'outed' because of the shame involved.

In general, I disagree with you. That is an over-reactive belief, not generally substantiated by the research available. Yes, you do see more of a tendency like that the more violent a rapist is at onset of offending. Most, especially incesters and those focusing more as “age-mates,” are absolutely aghast at the notion of murder. It would be exceedingly rare to see it in that area. Most of them do not really experience shame, especially the non-violent ones – you have to teach them that as part of treatment. They truly see nothing wrong, often times, with what they are doing. The violent types especially, but the others as well, DO realize that what they are doing is illegal and work to cover it up. With the violent types, one has a higher chance of seeing homicide, especially the younger the offender. I definitely see the less violent offenders as highly treatable; the more violent, the less so.

Originally Posted by kristoff

I suspect that you are quite right. Of course, most of the undamaged ones are never heard from. And most of those who ARE heard from, are more damaged by the feminazis who make it an issue, and torment a kid into trauma. There are those who do in fact experience such things traumatically, and should be treated as such. By no means do I advocate adult-child sexu

al activity as a general rule, but I do believe that much of it is politically grossly over-played.

Originally Posted by A-1

Again, the issue is being 'outed'. The adult gets the child's trust and after tampering with the child, (Or young adolescent) the peodophile convinces the child not to tell by whatever means necessary.

Krister, if you think THAT don't mess up a kid, of EITHER sex, you need to re-assess your philosophy. IT messes up the little GIRLs and the little BOYs. It IS a political issue because the child who is abused grows into the adult who becomes an abuser, unless the child has a STRONG constitution. This is similar to an alcoholic family in which the child becomes a tea totaler because they have been a caretaker of the family for so long.

Bottom line, think what you will, but abused children like Adult Children of Alcoholics carry the scars of childhood all of their lives and have to work HARD to overcome them. Look that Florida's Rep. Foley. HE is fucked-up now, isn't he?

You cannot absolve abusers when they are adults, but you can work to be sure that the cycle cannot continue into the next generation.

What you say is in fact true for many, but not all. The younger the victim the more true it is. On the other hand, I have talked with and extensively interviewed many teens, especially males, and frequently find that the experienced “trauma” is substantially less than proposed by the more ardent advocates of “damage always,” and frequently absent. Generally, the more significantly older the molester, the more likely to be a trauma (i.e., it is more likely to be experienced that way by a 40 YO on a 14 YO, as opposed to a 24YO on a 14 YO). Keep in mind that I am never referring to those much younger (i.e., pre-teen), in my discussion. The younger the victim the more likely trauma. As to the repetition of incest (where one usually sees it, especially the earlier the molestation), I’ve generally found that the activity tends to stunt emotional development similar to that of the offender (i.e., father, uncle, etc.)

Originally Posted by kristoff

Adam Walsh, while I understand his pain, has never allowed

it to rest, to truly bury his son. He's consumed by Rage and Hatred, I believe, and lives his life as a vendetta. In that respect he is a very cold-hearted man, I suspect.

On July 27th 1981, John and Reve Walsh launched what is still considered today the largest manhunt for a missing child in the state of Florida. But two weeks later when Adam's severed head was discovered in an irrigation canal by two fisherman, one hundred miles away in Vero Beach, the harsh reality set in. Ronald Wright, the Broward County medical examiner ruled Adam's death a result of asphyxiation; the severing of his head was done post mortem. But Wright believes that Adam was more than likely murdered the very day he disappeared.

Mindful of the fact that Adam's remains could help catch his killer, the Walshes h

eld a Mass of Angels for

their son days later with only a symbolic casket. No burial followed. Ada

m's skull rests, to this day, at the Medical Examiner's office in Broward County.

Originally Posted by A-1

Krister, you cannot understand the pain unless this happened to you...

Undoubtedly, you are quite right. I’ve experienced the violent death of someone close, but never a child of mine. I would imagine I would have as difficult a time as Walsh. At the same time, while some folks respond to these things by making careers of their reactions and feelings, I still believe that in many cases, they are incapable of coming to terms with their grief, regardless of the situation. Of course

it will ALWAYS hurt, ALWAYS leave a vacuum where the loss is, but one has to come to terms, move on with life, or I suspect one will slowly kill him/herself with consuming feelings.

On July 27th 1981, John and Reve Walsh launched what is still considered today the largest manhunt for a missing child in the state of Florida. But two weeks later when Adam's severed head was discovered in an irrigation canal by two fisherman, one hundred miles away in Vero Beach, the harsh reality set in. Ronald Wright, the Broward County medical examiner ruled Adam's death a result of asphyxiation; the severing of his head was done post mortem. But Wright believes that Adam was more than likely murdered the very day he disappeared.

Mindful of the fact that Adam's remains could help catch his killer, the Walshes h

eld a Mass of Angels for

their son days later with only a symbolic casket. No burial followed. Adam's skull rests, to this day, at the Medical Examiner's office in Broward County.

Originally Posted by A-1

So, you want to talk about closure? Do ya? huh?

HERE, READ IT!

It is a heart break for John and Reve Walsh, who will never know what really happened to Adam, why it happened, and most importantly to have his remains so that they can lay him to rest.

So we come full circle. How do you tell a (mere?) child molester from a child killer. Well, it is hard before the panic sets in when they know that their victim can identify them.

Krister, you have been around enough criminals. I don't know, maybe you still are. Next time you get around a murderer who killed in the heat of passion the first time, ask them if they got up the morning of their crime planning on killing.

That only happens after they find out how easy it is for them to do have done the first and to have gotten away with it. The second is easier, and the third and so forth until they

finally get caught.

However, the first is always an accident... more or less...after the selfish gratification they get after the molestation, or the repeated molestation ends...

One does not argue with an appeal to emotion. That tends to create invalid argument, as you well know.

Again, I disagree with you with regard to the frequency of homicide in sequence. What you are referring to is typically labeled as a “serial killer,” who also usually tend to be sex offenders/rapists. But such behavior is not generalizable to all offenders – that is a far reach. However, I do agree that once a violent rapist has successfully assaulted a victim, the more likely he is to do so again, often becoming more violent, and more likely to end in homicide. I speak more to the violent types, as opposed to the more surreptitious molesters of younger children and teens. While those types, tend to be serial offenders, they are very unlikely to be come violent.

This whole topic is one that is fraught with angst and rage and fear. One does not often react with great rationality to such offenses, especially the closer it gets to you. Highly understandable. (Perhaps I am cursed by too much ability to see opposing views. Perhaps I have become too involved in dealing with such people in prison settings. Undoubtedly, all of it IS exhausting, and is why I ran away from it long ago.) We know a great deal about such folks, but there is ever so much more that we DO NOT know. The inner workings of the mind/personality is often a challenge to understand, no matter who. The more offensive or alien to the general being of people, the less it is often understood. I make no excuses for my positions: mine are tempered by my experiences working in the prisons, as well as with victims. I despise the more radical and feminazi positions forced upon us by the PCs. But that does not mean I condone any of this offensive behavior. Extremes seldom tend to be valid or valuable.