Femicide in São Vicente: woman stabbed to death by her ex-partner after work By Luís Henrique Costa
3 min read
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A security camera recorded the desperate moments of Paula Santos da Silva, 37, as she asked for help after being seriously stabbed by her ex-partner, Severino Alves Pereira, 56, in the city of São Vicente, on the coast of São Paulo. The woman did not resist the blows and died in front of the building where she lived. The attacker was detained by authorities.
The brutal crime occurred on the night of Monday, July 13, in the central region of São Vicente. According to witness statements, Paula was surprised with stab wounds to the abdomen and neck on Rua Tibiriçá, shortly after finishing her shift at the Brisamar shopping mall.
Camera footage shows the victim walking with difficulty, with visible injuries, and desperately waving to people across the street for help. The incident highlights the vulnerability of women in situations of domestic violence, where the aggressor is often someone close to them, as shown by statistics on feminicide.
The Civil Police reported that, despite being injured, Paula managed to walk for a few meters before collapsing in front of her apartment, located on Rua Frei Gaspar. The Fire Department was called, but a doctor from the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu) confirmed the death at the scene.
A resident of the building, who chose not to have her name disclosed, revealed that Paula and her 9-year-old daughter had moved into the place approximately six months ago.
Investigations indicated that Severino, who performed maintenance services at the condominium, had a relationship lasting approximately three months with Paula. He had his contact blocked on the victim’s cell phone and had been banned from entering her apartment.
The suspect’s statement after the crime in São Vicente
Severino confessed to the murder to the police and gave details of how he acted. He reported having attacked Paula as soon as she left work, throwing the knife used in the crime onto the Suspension Bridge. Then, he went to Praça da Biquinha to wash his hands.
According to his testimony, the man began receiving calls from employees of the building, as Paula had no other relatives in the city. The suspect claimed to have returned to the condominium to check on the victim’s daughter, where he then encountered law enforcement officers.
Severino declared that he had a strong affection for the child and requested permission to see him. Accompanied by a police officer, he went to the apartment, from where the girl was taken to the police station and placed in the care of her father.
During the investigations, the police analyzed the recordings from the security cameras and confirmed that Severino was responsible for the crime. He was arrested red-handed after admitting to the murder.
The aggressor will respond for qualified feminicide, with the qualifications of use of resources that made the victim’s defense difficult and ambush. The Public Security Secretariat of the State of São Paulo (SSP-SP) had not released additional information about the case at the time of writing this report.
