Firefighter caught for harassment on buses was already responsible for a similar crime in 2021

Military firefighter Anderson Ferreira Bandeira, aged 41, was arrested in the act last Wednesday (22) at Rio Grande of Sul. The arrest occurred after a passenger reported having been sexually harassed on an intercity bus. However, Ministério Público (MP) revealed that Bandeira is already a defendant in Justiça for a similar crime, which allegedly happened five years ago.

Segundo to Promotoria, the soldier would be wearing the uniform of Corpo of Bombeiros Militar (CBMRS) in both episodes. The repetition of the conduct motivated Promotoria to highlight the suspect’s habitual criminality. Justiça converted the flagrant arrest into preventive arrest, keeping Bandeira detained in Presídio Policial Militar, in Porto Alegre.

Prisão in the act and history of complaints

Anderson Ferreira Bandeira’s arrest occurred in the early hours of April 22. A 34-year-old woman reported being the victim of sexual harassment on a bus belonging to the company Ouro and Prata, which operated the Porto Alegre–Dom Pedrito line. The passenger, who slept during the trip, woke up feeling touched on her breast and identified the man sitting next to her as the attacker.

The incident happened around 1:30 am, at Pântano Grande, on Vale of Rio Pardo. The victim immediately sought out the driver of the vehicle and reported what had happened, which led to a disturbance. Brigada Militar was called and approached the suspect. The police collected the firefighter’s weapon and took him to Delegacia of Polícia of Cachoeira of Sul. In his testimony, the soldier chose to remain silent in the face of the accusations. Justiça analyzed the evidence presented and converted the arrest from flagrant to preventive, with no fixed term.

Semelhança in cases: use of uniform and *modus operandi*

Ministério Público’s complaint reveals that the 2021 case bears striking similarities to the current episode. At around 1:15 am on August 10, 2021, on a bus that also ran the Porto Alegre–Dom Pedrito route, Bandeira allegedly touched the breast of a woman who was sitting next to him. Naquela occasion, the victim only made the complaint after the bus arrived at its final destination. Isso prevented him from being arrested in the act at the time.

Bagé’s Justiça promoter, Diogo Taborda, highlighted to g1 another crucial similarity between the two episodes: the use of Bombeiros Militar’s Corpo uniform. Segundo the prosecutor, the suspicion is that the soldier would use the uniform to obtain a discount on the ticket. Além Furthermore, the uniform could serve to avoid distrust on the part of other passengers and bus company employees. Este pattern of behavior reinforces the prosecutor’s analysis of criminal reiteration.

Ministério Público points out criminal reiteration

The Rio Grande do Sul prosecutor’s office emphasized its concern about the firefighter’s behavior. Ministério Público claims that Bandeira would have “repeated behavior in committing sexual crimes against women”. Diogo Taborda was categorical in his assessment. “It is very clear that this is an aggressor, a rapist who has a criminal habit against female victims,” ​​declared the prosecutor.

Ele stated that this characteristic will be considered during the process. Habituality can even be taken into consideration to exasperate the penalty. The process regarding the 2021 case is still ongoing. The evidentiary hearing is scheduled for May 13th, where new information may emerge.

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Corpo of Bombeiros initiates processes and investigations

Corpo of Bombeiros Militar of Rio Grande of Sul (CBMRS) issued an official note on the case. The institution repudiated any form of violence, especially against people in vulnerable situations. The CBMRS reiterated its commitment to legality, ethics and the protection of society.

In relation to the facts of 2021, the corporation reported that the accusation was investigated at the police level. CBMRS monitored the progress of the investigation and adopted the appropriate administrative measures. The institution stressed that it follows due legal process. The legal case is still ongoing at Justiça Comum. The corporation awaits its conclusion to take further administrative measures.

Sobre the arrest in the act of April 2026:
• The soldier is currently in preventive detention.
• Tão soon became aware of the facts, the CBMRS instituted Inquérito Policial Militar.
• Foi also created an Conselho of Disciplina at the administrative level.
• Conselho aims to evaluate the possible exclusion of the military from the institution’s ranks.
• The case remains under consideration by Poder Judiciário, with monitoring by Corregedoria from CBMRS.
• The soldier’s permanence in the corporation results from current administrative and judicial decisions.
• The CBMRS states that it does not apply sanctions without due legal support.
• Qualquer irregular conduct is investigated and, once proven, leads to the application of appropriate measures.

Military Defesa and future forwards

Anderson Ferreira Bandeira’s lawyer, Marcio Rosano, was contacted by the report. Ele informed that it will only comment on the case within the judicial process. Esta stance is common in situations involving complex criminal charges. The defense awaits the next stages of the legal process to present its arguments and evidence.

Enquanto that, investigations remain ongoing. Polícia Civil and Ministério Público work on collecting evidence and statements. The intention is to clarify all the details surrounding the allegations of sexual harassment. The outcome of the processes, both the recent one and the one in 2021, will define the future of the soldier and the possible sanctions he could face.