Rio de Janeiro, Sep 27 (IANS/EFE) A court in the northeastern Brazilian state of Paraiba has sentenced to 106 years in prison the ringleader of a group of youth who raped five women at a party and killed two of them.
Eduardo dos Santos Pereira, the last of the seven defendants to be tried, was considered the chief promoter of the gang rape and two murders perpetrated in 2012 in the town of Queimada.
The sentence was handed down Friday by Judge Antonio Maroja Limeira Filho after a 19-hour trial.
Santos Pereira, who planned the crimes, was found guilty of double homicide, five rapes, criminal conspiracy, corruption of minors, bearing arms illegally and battery.
The other six accused have been sentenced to between 26 and 44 years in jail, while the three minors who were part of the group of rapists must submit to disciplinary measures.
The gang rape and murders occurred Feb 12, 2012, while the victims were attending a birthday party organised by Santos Pereira at his home.
The others at the party were friends of the organiser and knew of Santos Pereira's plans to rape the female guests.
A group of hooded men invaded the home where the birthday party was being held and shut the women in a bedroom where they were raped, while the men were supposedly tied up elsewhere in the house.
Teacher Isabela Frazao Monteiro, 27, and receptionist Michelle Domingues da Silva, 29, were killed when they discovered that the hooded rapists were none other than the guests at the party.
--IANS/EFE
ab/rd
