On Tuesday, the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office (MP-SP) demanded that the City Hall of Campinas be held liable for R$ 2 million in compensation related to the death of a child caused by a eucalyptus tree falling at the Lagoa do Taquaral in 2023. The prosecution asserted that the city was negligent in its management and maintenance of the trees in the park. According to the final statements from prosecutor Luciana Guimarães, evidence indicated that issues with the eucalyptus trees had been identified since a study conducted in 2015, highlighting structural problems that should have prompted preventive actions.

The prosecutor emphasized that the tree’s fall was not an unpredictable event, but rather the result of a long-standing decline due to inadequate care over the years. This notion was supported by the findings from the Centro de Apoio à Execução (CAEx). The city’s oversight in addressing these longstanding issues raises critical questions about its responsibilities in ensuring public safety in municipal parks and the potential implications of their inaction.

In response, the City Hall of Campinas defended itself by referencing analyses conducted by state government agencies, which concluded that the tree's fall was due to soil saturation rather than neglect. Amid these conflicting interpretations, the father of the deceased child, Sergio Fermino, voiced his sentiments reflecting the emotional toll of the situation and the broader implications regarding public responsibility and accountability in avoidable tragedies like this one.