Justice Minister Sergio Moro said São Paulo Military Police made a "serious operational error" in the police operation that left nine people dead at a funk party in Paraisópolis last Sunday (1st).
The former federal judge spoke on the subject when talking about Jair Bolsonaro's proposal to protect security agents who use excessive force in defending themselves.
"[The illicit exclusionary project] would never, never be a license to kill. Sometimes we talk about this in situations that absolutely would not apply," the minister said.
"For example, in the case of the girl Ágatha [Felix], who was eventually killed, by a gunshot in Rio de Janeiro. There was no self-defense situation. So it would be impossible to invoke this device. In the Sao Paulo case, with all due respect to the police there, the Sao Paulo PM, which is a quality corporation, praised throughout the country, apparently there was a surplus of force there, a serious operational error that resulted in the death of some people. At no time is there a situation of self-defense, so it would not apply," he added.
The defense of lawfulness softens penalties for agents who commit excesses "under fear, surprise or violent emotion," as appeared in Moro's first text to Congress in his anti-crime project.
On Wednesday (4), in a political defeat for Moro, the House of Representatives approved the text of the anti-crime package and leaves out some of the former judge's main points, such as the defense of lawfulness, the second instance prison, and the "Plea Bargain" agreement.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon