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UA 433/93 - Brazil: fear for safety / intimidation: street educators: Jonas Beltrao de Oliveira, Jonathan Luke Hannay, Maria Cecilia Garcez Leme, Maria Ines Rondello and several street children in Sao Paulo

, N° d'index: AMR 19/037/1993

AI is concerned for the safety of people working with the Catholic Church's Children's Pastoral in Sao Paulo, following a number of violent incidents and acts of intimidation since 12 December 1993. Jonathan Hannay (English) needed hospital treatment after trying to mediate in a dispute between the police and street children. (An 11-year-old child was also beaten during the incident). Since 12 December, two other street educators, Maria Cecilia Garcez Leme and Maria Ines Rondello, have been followed by military police and police have also reportedly visited Jonathan Hannay's house asking for his whereabouts.

EXTERNAL (for general distribution) AI Index: AMR 19/37/93
Distr: UA/SC
UA 433/93 Fear for safety / Intimidation 15 December 1993
BRAZIL Street educators: Jonas BELTRãO de Oliveira
Jonathan Luke HANNAY, (English)
Maria Cecília GARCEZ LEME, (female), nun
Maria Inês RONDELLO, (female)
and several street children in the Praça da Sé, São Paulo
Amnesty International is concerned for the physical safety of street educators
working with street children in São Paulo's cathedral square, following a number
of violent incidents and acts of intimidation involving military police. The
educators work with the Catholic church's Pastoral do Menor (Children's
Pastoral).
On 12 December street children called Jonathan Hannay and Jonas Beltrão de
Oliveira to the Praça da Sé, São Paulo's cathedral square, where a confrontation
was going on between children and military police. The two educators tried
to mediate, but the confrontation restarted when police detained a girl of
16, named Rosângela, and were seen hitting her over the head with a gun. One
policeman allegedly hit Jonathan Hannay in the stomach with a piece of wood
and two others knocked down, kicked and beat an 11-year-old child.
Street traders began shouting at the educators, blaming them for the children's
behaviour. One hit Jonas Beltrão in the neck with a piece of wood, but when
Jonas asked for police help, the officer in command allegedly said he would
do "nothing". He reportedly ordered his men out of the square - leaving the
educators amid the crowd who began punching, kicking and beating them. Finally,
a policeman told the street traders to disperse. Jonas was reportedly
semi-conscious with his glasses broken, blood coming out of his ear and a large
wound on the back of his neck. Police apparently did not question or detain
any of those involved in the assault.
The two educators were taken by the police to hospital where Jonas received
emergency treatment for concussion and a perforated eardrum. After receiving
first aid, Jonathan continued to be verbally insulted by police. He was taken
to a police station and then to the military police battalion to identify the
policeman who had hit him in the stomach. He reportedly identified the
policeman and was further questioned before being released.
Since 12 December, there have been further acts of intimidation: two other
educators, Maria Cecília Garcez Leme and Maria Inês Rondello, were followed
by military police, and military police are also reported to have visited
Jonathan Hannay's house asking for his whereabouts.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
2
Street educators visit groups of children sleeping in the streets and work
with them to provide alternatives to crime and glue-sniffing. These educators
are often the only people able to witness, denounce or prevent assaults on
street children by uniformed police or their abduction by vigilante death
squads. Local traders are often hostile to the educators, associating them
with the crimes committed by street children themselves.
Throughout 1993 street educators working with the Pastoral do Menor in the
Praça da Sé in São Paulo have been harassed by members of the military police.
Jonas Beltrão de Oliveira has been frequently verbally insulted and otherwise
harassed by military police. In April 1993 Father Pedro Horacio Caballero,
a Pastoral do Menor street educator, was beaten up by military police when
he attempted to prevent them beating two 12-year-old street children in the
Praça da Sé (See UA 123/93, AMR 19/15/93, 21 April 1993).
On 10 December the Pastoral do Menor was among several human rights groups
that presented the Ministry of Justice with a dossier denouncing that military
police were involved in extorting money from street children in São Paulo.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes and airmail letters
either in Portuguese or in your own language:
- Expressing concern at military police conduct in the Praça da Sé, São Paulo
on 12 December, which reportedly included the assault of one street educator
and beating of an 11-year-old street child and a 16-year-old girl;
- Expressing concern that police appear to have not only condoned but also
facilitated the near-lynching of the street educators Jonas Beltrão de Oliveira
and Jonathan Hannay.
- Urging that all steps are taken to ensure the safety of street educators
working with street children in the Praça da Sé, particularly in the light
of events on 12 December;
- Seeking an investigation into reports that military police have been involved
in intimidation and extortion of street children.
APPEALS TO
State Secretary of Public Security
Sr Secretário de Segurança Pública
Dr Michel Temer
Av Higienopolis no 758
01238 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Telegrams:Secretario Segurança Publica, São Paulo, Brasil
Faxes: +55 11 825 8813
Telexes: 11 21521
Salutation: Sr. Secretário/ Dear Mr Secretary
State Governor
Exmo Sr Governador do Estado de São Paulo
Sr Luiz Antônio Fleury Filho
Palácio dos Bandeirantes
Av Morumbi s/n
05.598 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Telegrams : Sr Governador São Paulo, Brazil
Faxes : + 55 11 8439271
Saluation : Vossa Excelência/ Your Excellency
Minister of Justice
Exmo Sr Ministro da Justiça
3
Sr Mauricio Corrêa
Ministério Da Justiça
Esplanada dos Ministérios, Bloco 23
70.064 Brasília DF, Brazil
Telegrams: Ministro Justiça, Brasília, Brazil
Faxes: + 55 61 321 5145
Telexes: 611003 MNJUBT
Salutation : Vossa Excelência/ Your Excellency
COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO:
Pastoral do Menor
Praça da Sé 184, 10 andar
01001 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Newspaper
Folha da Tarde
Al Barão de Limeira 425
01202 São Paulo,SP, Brazil
and to diplomatic representatives of Brazil accredited to your country
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat,
or your section office, if sending appeals after 26 January 1994.

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