Rio Court Sets March 23 Jury Trial in Death of 4-Year-Old Henry Borel

Overview

• Judge Elizabeth Machado Louro of Rio's 2nd Jury Court scheduled the trial to begin at 9 a.m. on March 23, 2026.
• Defendants Monique Medeiros and former councilor Jairo "Jairinho" Souza Santos Júnior will be tried on aggravated homicide charges, with Monique also accused of torture by omission and witness coercion.
• The order caps witnesses at seven for each defense team and seven for the Public Prosecutor's Office.
• Both defendants have been in preventive detention since April 2021 after investigations disputed their claim of a domestic accident.
• IML findings state Henry died from internal bleeding caused by a blunt-force liver laceration and had 23 injuries, and his father called the trial date painful yet hopeful.