Pre-trial hearing in case of Brazilian killed in Australia
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Witnesses at a pre-trial hearing in the case of a Brazilian man charged with killing his former girlfriend in Australia said Wednesday the accused became obsessive and sexist after the relationship ended.
Mario Marcelo Ferreira dos Santos Santoro, 40, is accused in the killing of Cecilia Muller Haddad, 38, whose body was found in Sydney's Lane Cove River on April 29.
Santoro allegedly strangled Haddad, who was also Brazilian, and fled back to Brazil. He was found hiding in a relative's home in Rio de Janeiro and arrested July 7.
Santoro appeared in a Rio court for Wednesday's hearing with his lawyers. The judge heard four prosecution witnesses. Reporters were allowed to listen to the hearing on condition they not reveal the witnesses' identities for their safety.
One of witnesses said Santoro confessed to the crime in an informal chat with a commissioner at the homicide precinct, but refused to repeat the confession in formal testimony.
In the informal chat, Santoro allegedly said he killed Haddad because he could not accept that she had broken up with him, the witness said.
Mauricio Eduardo Mayr, one of Santoro's defense lawyers, dismissed the alleged confession as "hearsay" and said he wants to question the commissioner who heard it in a future hearing.
Other witnesses described Santoro's behavior as "obsessive" and "sexist" after the relationship ended. The unemployed engineer had refused to move out of her house, followed her and read her personal messages, they said.
One witness said Haddad eventually blocked Santoro's number and only emailed him messages in English, so Australian police could read the exchanges if anything happened to her.
Defense lawyers said there was not enough evidence to support the allegations and criticized Rio authorities for holding Santoro when the documents from the official investigation were still in Australia.
"The police investigator is forcing this case, and the defense believes he is wrongfully imprisoned," lawyer Anderson Rollemberg said.
The defense also criticized the way Santoro was treated by police, saying he was under great physical and psychological stress.
The tribunal will schedule more pre-trial hearings to hear from witnesses who could not appear Wednesday as well as defense witness.
It is not immediately clear when there will be a verdict in the case.
