Former Wife of Candidate for Head of Brazil's Congress Alleges Abuse
Married for 10 years to the legislator, she says she took punches and kicks and was coerced into changing her story
Jan.15.2021 11:04AM
Constança Rezende
BRASÍLIA
The former wife of Congressman Arthur Lira (PP-AL), Jullyene Lins, 45, said, in an interview with Folha, that the congressman, candidate for the Chamber's presidency, physically assaulted her and then threatened her to change a statement about the accusations that she made.
Jullyene was married to Lira for ten years and has two children with him.
In the interview, she cried four times and said that Lira made her change her testimony in the court case in which she claimed to have been assaulted by the legislator in 2006. After this setback, Lira was acquitted in 2015.
"He hit me, hit me, punched, punched, kicked, strangled me," she said. "He told me that where there is no body, there is no crime, that 'I can do anything to you,'" she said. "That was pure machismo, the feeling of possession."
In a note signed by his lawyer, Lira states that the content of his ex-wife's statements is “cooked up” and that he was acquitted of charges by the Supreme Court.
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2021/01/former-wife-of-candidate-for-head-of-brazils-congress-alleges-abuse.shtml
(Short article, no more at link.)
Arthur has a low friend in a high place.