The untimely passing of an influencer in Brazil is making headlines after her attacker confessed to taking her life because she did not reciprocate his feelings.
23-year-old Raissa da Silva was a former teen beauty queen who thought she was going to hang out with a family friend.
Instead, police say, Marcelo Alves, 40, fatally strangled de Silva because she said she did not have feelings for him.
The 23-year-old beauty queen waved goodbye to family for the last time
Trigger warning: This article contains details of violence that may be distressing to some
According to news reports, Alves, who is a comedian and goes by the stage name Alves Li Pernambuco, called de Silva, who was named Miss Serra Branca Teen in 2020, to pitch a possible job opportunity in Sorocaba, Brazil.
De Silva accepted the meeting with Alves, who was also de Silva’s former martial arts teacher, media say.
Alves picked up de Silva from her house on June 2nd, with a video showing her waving to her family as she left.
When she didn’t show up hours later, they reported her missing.
Paraná Civil Police chief Aline Manzatto told local news that Alves took de Silva to his home in Curitiba, the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná.
It was there that police say Alves confessed his love to de Silva, who apparently told him she did not share his feelings.
Then, according to police, Alves laid his hands on the 23-year-old, and didn’t let go until she stopped breathing.
“She got upset”: Police say de Silva insulted Alves before he took her life
Police told local news outlets that when Alves professed his love to da Silva, “she got upset” and insulted Alves, which prompted him to strangle her.
Police chief Manzatto said that Alves “was angry and out of control” and confessed that he strangled the victim, then left the room for 10 minutes. When he returned, he found her unresponsive.
Reports say Alves then rolled up de Silva’s body in a large tarp and sealed it with duct tape, before calling his son Dhony for help.
The life of a 23-year-old Mexican woman was taken while she was live online
The incident is reminiscent of another highly publicized case involving a woman who was fatally shot while doing a livestream, much to the horror of her viewers.
At a beauty salon in Jalisco, Mexico, 23-year-old Valeria Márquez was assassinated while speaking to fans.
At the time of the attack, authorities said that the assailant entered the salon around 6:30 p.m. local time, confirmed Márquez’s identity, and fired at close range. The attack was reported via emergency services, prompting the immediate response from local police and forensic personnel.
The incident prompted public outcry over the country’s perceived problem with violence against women and the influence of organized crime.
Netizens are outraged over the passing of a 23-year-old Brazilian teen beauty queen
Some comments from netizens online regarding the untimely passing of Raissa da Silva have been critical of the country’s legal system.
“The laws need to be stricter and firmer, to try to protect us from such monstrosities,” one person said.
Another said that “When you read the defense of this narcissistic m*rderer its disgusting, and so are our legislation and lawyers who defend m*rderers.”
Other people online focused on the country’s gender-based violence.
“A beautiful girl full of dreams d*ed for being a woman and knowing her rights, to say no. Rest in peace Raissa Suellen…” said one person.
“If it were really Love, he wouldn’t k*ll her!” another person stated.
Still another person said that “If every rejected guy was going to k*ll the one who rejected him, there would be no more women in this world.”
“The scoundrel k*lled her for not being able to receive a ‘NO’. According to him, he declared himself and she rejected him and disdained him, so he strangled her,” said another.
Violence against women is on the rise in Brazil
A new study from the Brazilian think tank Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública, known as FBSP, released in May of this year, shows that gender-based violence and crime in the country has gone up recently.
According to an article in America’s Quarterly that quotes the report, “40.7% of Brazilian women aged 16 and over say they have suffered physical, intimacy, and/or psychological violence in their lifetime from a partner or ex-partner.”
The article continues to say: “Approximately 60% of these cases reported in the last 12 months occurred at the victim’s home.”
Netizens react with outrage at the passing of a 23-year-old caused by a 40-year-old because she did not share his feelings
