Karina Kufa’s son stays with his father after the lawyer’s marriage to Thiago Brennand: he lost custody

Lawyer Karina de Paula Kufa had temporary custody of her son transferred to the child’s father, Amilton Augusto da Silva Júnior, after marrying businessman Thiago Brennand, currently in prison, on July 2nd. Karina Kufa, known for her work defending former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and an expert in electoral law, frequently shares content related to the Christian faith on her digital platforms.

The decision of the São Paulo Court, released on Tuesday, July 14, establishes that the boy will remain in the care of his father after the end of the school vacation period. The measure is preliminary and temporary.

Thiago Brennand, who has been detained since April 2023, faces several charges and has already been convicted in multiple criminal cases for acts against women, including allegations of rape and assault. His most recent conviction occurred on Monday, July 13, when the judiciary sentenced him to 31 years in prison for crimes committed against a former partner, who reported having been attacked and coerced into tattooing the businessman’s initials. The seriousness of these antecedents is a key factor in the custody process.

In the case of the custody of Karina Kufa’s son, the magistrate highlighted the extreme seriousness of the accusations against Brennand, mentioning “examples of cruelty”, including against the businessman’s own son in other cases. The Mix Vale team tried to contact the lawyer, but did not receive a response until the completion of this report.

Karina Kufa joined Jair Bolsonaro’s legal team during the 2018 presidential campaign and remained one of his main lawyers, dedicating herself mainly to electoral and party issues in subsequent years.

Currently, the lawyer also represents Thiago Brennand. In her career, Karina Kufa defended other public figures, such as the former director general of the Federal Highway Police (PRF) Silvinei Vasques, under investigation for alleged use of the corporation in the 2022 elections, and Marcelo Queiroga, former Minister of Health in the Bolsonaro government.

She also provided legal services to former federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL). In a recent post on social media, Karina Kufa described her relationship with the politician as something that goes beyond the professional.

“Eduardo is more than a client; he is a loyal and true friend. I carry many good memories, some immortalized in photos. He does not allow himself to be influenced, but inspires and leads. His unique charisma, his capacity for dialogue and his ability to calm conflicts make him a true leader”, wrote the lawyer.

According to information in her professional profile, Karina Kufa is the founder of the Kufa Advocacia office, director of the Fiesp Social Responsibility Committee and president of the Instituto Paulista de Direito Eleitoral. In her CV, she also indicates a postgraduate degree in Administrative Law from PUC-SP.

The lawyer is transparent about her Christian faith on social media. In several posts, he expresses great admiration for Bishop Sônia Hernandes, co-founder of the Renascer em Cristo Church and one of the creators of the March for Jesus. According to Karina, the religious leader herself was responsible for her baptism.

“She was the one who baptized me. Since then, she has accompanied me with constancy, discernment and courage in cycles of arduous struggles and great victories. Not as a spectator, but as someone who understands that true leadership requires presence, firmness and purpose. I can say that her example as a woman and the teachings she transmitted to me about life and the word of God transformed me into a much better woman”, Karina Kufa published on a social media platform.

In May, after the inauguration ceremony of ministers Kassio Nunes Marques and André Mendonça as president and vice-presidency, respectively, of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Karina Kufa released a photograph of the magistrates, expressing wishes for success.

“At a challenging time for the Electoral Justice, their inauguration represents more than a simple change in the composition of the Court: it symbolizes experience, responsibility and a strong commitment to Brazilian democracy. May this new mission be carried out with the same greatness that brought them here”, he declared.

In the child custody case, the records indicate that custody is shared, and the reference residence was established with the mother by an agreement approved on March 19, 2026. The court decision highlights that Karina Kufa married Thiago Brennand at the beginning of July.

The judge emphasizes that Brennand is accused of several crimes against different victims, according to his criminal record. He describes the accusations attributed to the businessman as “extremely serious” and involving “amounts of cruelty”, including towards his own son.

The decision also notes that the allegations involving women with whom Brennand had a relationship were widely reported in the press.

Given this scenario, the judge considered it “reasonable to question whether maintaining the maternal reference home meets the best interests of the child.” The issue still depends on the opening of the adversarial process, the evidence production phase and the analysis of the request for urgent protection.

Even so, the judge assessed that the potential seriousness of the facts justified immediate action to protect the child. For this reason, he granted a provisional and temporary injunction, determining that, at the end of the period of paternal coexistence during the holidays, the boy remains with his father and does not return to his mother’s residence.

The court decision also allows the father to arrange for the child to be enrolled in a school in the city of São Paulo.

Karina Kufa will have a period of five days, from receipt of the decision, to present her specific statement on the request for urgent protection. The judge reiterated that this request will be analyzed in more depth after the lawyer’s defense and the Public Prosecutor’s Office have spoken out.

Furthermore, a psychological examination was requested to determine whether the father and his current partner have the necessary conditions to meet the child’s needs and whether the change from the reference domicile to the paternal residence really benefits the minor.

Amilton Augusto da Silva Júnior, the child’s father, released a note about the process:

“In relation to the questions I have received about the process involving custody of my son, I clarify that I cannot provide details, since the action is being processed under judicial secrecy, a measure that exists precisely to preserve the privacy and best interests of the child.”

“What I can say is that, as a lawyer and father, I adopted all legal measures within my power to protect my son from any situation that, in my understanding, could pose risks to his development and well-being.”

“Out of respect for judicial secrecy and, mainly, for the preservation of the child, I will not make any further comments on the case at this time. Furthermore, I remain confident in Justice and doing what I understand to be the best for my son.”