Leniel Borel calls for investigation into judge in Henry case

Leniel Borel de Almeida Junior, father of the boy Henry Borel, filed a disciplinary complaint with the National Council of Justice (CNJ) against judge Elizabeth Machado Louro, who presided over the trial of Monique Medeiros and former councilman Jairo Souza Santos Júnior, known as Jairinho. The request seeks to determine whether the magistrate tried to influence the jury to grant a judicial pardon to Monique, mother of the boy who died in March 2021.

Complaint highlights episodes before and during the trial

Leniel's defense cites a hearing held in September 2026, within the scope of a criminal complaint against journalist Fernanda Piacentini. In that hearing, witness Monica Caliman reported that the journalist had allegedly received a request to contact Monique's mother, who was imprisoned, with the goal of replacing the private defense with a public defender supposedly close to the judge.

Alteration of question in the Jury Court

In the 2026 trial, after the majority of jurors answered “yes” to the question “Was the accused's omission intentional?”, the judge recognized an error in the formulation of the question, replacing it with another one about negligent omission and ordered a new vote. The new result ruled out intentional homicide and led to the granting of the judicial pardon to Monique.

Requests to the CNJ and the Public Prosecutor's Office

• Examination of recordings of the hearings and the trial.
• Request for clarifications from the magistrate.
• Preservation and analysis of evidence, including cell phones of individuals mentioned in the document.
• Activation of the Public Prosecutor's Office to evaluate measures related to the cell phones.

Reaction of the Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro

The Court of Justice of the State of Rio de Janeiro reported that it does not comment on decisions made by its magistrates, nor on ongoing cases in the Rio de Janeiro Judiciary or in higher courts.

Context of Monique Medeiros' trial

Jairinho was sentenced to 43 years, 9 months, and 20 days in prison for the crimes recognized by the Jury Court. Monique Medeiros had the charge of intentional homicide dismissed, with liability for negligent homicide being recognized. She was sentenced to 1 year and 4 months for omission in the face of an episode of torture, a sentence considered served due to the period she remained imprisoned. Judge Elizabeth Machado Louro granted the judicial pardon to Monique, declaring the punishability of this crime extinguished.

Next steps

The disciplinary complaint is being processed separately from the judicial appeals questioning the jury's verdict and the pardon granted. The CNJ still needs to analyze the presented elements and decide what measures are appropriate. If insufficient elements are found, the procedure may be archived or move forward to new stages with requests for information and clarifications.

With information from Jornal de Brasília, ncnews.com.br, Extra online.