The Civil Police of Paraná arrested a man on Thursday suspected of raping and murdering a 9-year-old girl, Giovanna dos Reis Costa, in 2006. The case, which had long been unsolved, was reopened due to recent allegations from multiple women who reported being sexually assaulted by Martônio Alves Batista, who is now 55 years old. The investigation revealed that Batista had confessed to ex-partners about the crime, though it is not clear whether he has legal representation at this time.

The tragic event took place in Quatro Barras, a municipality on the outskirts of Curitiba, where the victim’s mother and brother were wrongfully imprisoned for five years while being accused of her murder. They maintained their innocence throughout the trial, and eventually were exonerated in a jury decision. The reopening of this case sheds light on longstanding issues of vulnerability and abuse within the community, raising questions about previous investigations and the judicial process that initially led to the arrest of an innocent family.

Authorities state that Batista allegedly lured Giovanna into his home under the pretense of helping her sell raffle tickets, where he then suffocated her. This case, now revived, highlights the importance of social support for victims of sexual violence and the necessity for continual vigilance in such investigations to ensure justice is served for all victims, old and new.