The Kathlen Romeu case reaches a new level after the complaint of 5 police officers involved in the young woman’s death, hit by a stray bullet.
The Kathlen Romeu case reached a new result last Monday (13). On the day, 5 military police officers received complaints from the Public Ministry of the State of Rio de Janeiro, regarding the death of young Kathlen de Oliveira Romeu, aged 24. The crime took place in June 2021, in the Lins de Vasconcelos Complex, north zone. Kathlen was pregnant and was injured after a police raid in the community where she was.
In this sense, the main accused by the MP were captain Jeanderson Corrêa, 3rd sergeant Rafael Chaves de Oliveira and corporals Rodrigo Correia de Frias, Cláudio da Silva Scanfela and Marcos da Silva. Likewise, they also requested the preventive detention of the last 4 officers mentioned. The reason was an accusation of having changed the place of Kathlen’s death.
Kathlen Romeu case: 4 police officers receive charges
According to the information gathered so far, the officers added 12 deflated 9mm caliber cartridges, as well as a 566 rifle magazine with 10 rounds of ammunition intact before forensics arrived. On the same day, the material needed to be presented at the 26th Police Station. The agents’ objective would have been to simulate an exchange of gunfire between them and the criminals in the Complex. However, the 4 are being accused of procedural fraud and false testimony.
The only one who had not had an arrest warrant ordered until then was Captain Jeanderson Corrêa. However, the officer was denounced for procedural fraud in an omitted manner. Thus, the complaint states that he was at the scene, and as superior to the other agents, he failed to instruct them correctly. Furthermore, the Civil Police investigation concluded that the shot that killed Kathlen came from a police officer. On the other hand, despite the accusation, the analysis does not indicate that he had, in fact, shot the young woman.
Shortly after the MP’s decision on the Kathlen Case, the young woman’s mother, Jaqueline Oliveira, said in an interview that she is now “starting to have a little hope”. The woman comments: “The truth was shown and, many times, this truth that we have been talking about since June 8th was confronted. My mother’s truth, the witnesses’ truth. There is only one truth: the state murdered my daughter.”
Kathlen’s family gets emotional when talking about the tragedy
The Kathlen Case began after model and interior designer Kathlen Romeu, 24, was killed on June 8, shot during a police operation in the community of Lins, north of Rio de Janeiro. Kathlen was 14 weeks pregnant, and moments before the death, she had even made a post on her Instagram celebrating the pregnancy. The young woman’s case mobilized social media.
According to reports from residents, the young woman was hit by a “stray bullet” during the confrontation between police and criminals. However, Kathlen’s death also resulted in the seizure of a rifle magazine, 9mm ammunition and drugs. The Military Police revealed that the young woman was on the street when found, and they soon took her to the Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital, but she did not resist. Soon after, the institution confirmed the death of her baby.
Kathlen Romeu’s grandmother also gave interviews during the time of the fatality. She gave more details about the case, and according to the lady, they were going to visit the young woman’s aunt.
Finally, the lady lamented the enormous tragedy. “My street is very dangerous, I didn’t want to have lost my granddaughter and lost it in this stupid way. I lost my granddaughter in a barbaric shooting. The girl has been away for a month because of these dangers, because of everything about Lins. That street of mine is very dangerous. I didn’t want to have lost my granddaughter and I lost it in this stupid way. A girl who works, studies, graduates. That’s all I have to say, I have nothing else.”
