Court ruling on man who killed transgender woman in Belo Horizonte

Justice has converted Matheus Henrique Santos Rodrigues’ 24-year-old flagrant arrest into preventive detention after he beat his ex-partner, 45-year-old transgender woman Christina Maciel Oliveira, to death on Monday (20) on Padre Pinto Street, Venda Nova region, Belo Horizonte.
The custody hearing on Wednesday (22) saw Judge Leonardo Vieira Rocha Damasceno highlight the cruelty of the crime and Matheus’ criminal record. The magistrate granted the defense’s request for the accused to be held separately or isolated from the other inmates.
‘Crimes of this nature, committed within the context of domestic and family violence against women, in my view, demonstrate a denial of rights, as the offender denies the victim as a subject of rights, holder of natural rights pertaining to freedom and autonomy,’ the judge wrote in a section of the ruling.
‘It should be noted that the accused was already subject to protective measures in favor of another victim, as per case file no. 5012884-61.2023.8.13.0024, demonstrating a specific behavior regarding gender-based violence and a propensity for violent criminal acts, especially against women,’ the document reinforced.
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Video: Transgender woman is kicked to death by ex-partner in the middle of the street in BH; watch
Matheus has a conviction for theft and faces other criminal actions related to drug trafficking, robbery, and qualified theft.
During the hearing, Matheus claimed to be a drug addict and suffer from anxiety and nervousness.
The Crime
The incident occurred on Monday afternoon (20) and was captured on security cameras. The footage shows the attacker punching Cristina and, once she was on the ground, repeatedly kicking her in the head. The man then walks away from the scene.
A nearby resident who witnessed the attack claimed jealousy was the motive behind the crime. ‘He couldn’t accept the end of the relationship. He said she had cheated, but it’s a lie – they had been separated for a while. We saw her pass by all the time; she has bought things from me on numerous occasions. It’s very upsetting. This scumbag has to pay for this,’ she lamented.