Murder of João Hélio

Who is Murder of João Hélio?

João Hélio Fernandes Vieites was a 6 year-old Brazilian boy who was murdered on February 7, 2007 by being dragged from a car for 7 km after an armed carjacking by a group of young males in the Zona Norte of Rio de Janeiro. The callous manner in which the child was murdered shocked the Brazilian public. The murder of "João Hélio", as it became known in the press, touched a raw nerve with the public. It received substantial coverage in Rio's media and throughout Brazil. It sparked a number of public protests demanding concrete solutions to the manifestations of extreme violence plaguing the city and amendments to the constitution and penal code, seeking to increase the punishment for those perpetrating brutal crimes, and to have greater accountability placed upon teens who commit murder.