A 24-year-old girl, 13 weeks pregnant, died this Tuesday after being shot during an operation by the Military Police in the Lins community, in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
According to the newspaper, the victim was identified as Kathlen Romeu and was dedicated to interior design.
Neighbors of the place indicated that Romeu was the victim of a stray bullet during a confrontation between criminals and members of the Lins Peacekeeping Police Unit (UPP).
The Military Police of Rio de Janeiro reported in a statement quoted by G1 that the agents in charge of the operation were attacked with bullets by criminals in the place known as ‘Beco da 14’ (14th alley), which started a confrontation.
Na tarde de hoje, policiais militares da #UPPLins foram atacados a tiros durante patrulhamento na localidade conhecida como “Beco da 14”. Após cessarem os disparos, os agentes encontraram uma mulher ferida e a socorreram ao Hospital Salgado Filho, no Méier. #PMERJ pic.twitter.com/v3laTFa9jv
— @pmerj (@PMERJ) June 8, 2021
According to the police version, the young woman was found injured after the exchange of shots, for which she was transferred to the Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital, in the Méier neighborhood, where she died as a result of the wound.
Agents searched the area and seized a rifle magazine, 9mm pistol ammunition, and drugs.
After the death of Kathlen Romeu, local residents started a protest to demand justice, blocking and setting fire on the Grajaú-Jacarepaguá highway. There, a group of protesters resisted the eviction by the police by throwing stones and glass bottles on Avenida Menezes Cortes.
From social networks, the Marielle Franco institute called for an “urgent investigation” into what happened: “They kill our children, they kill our mothers!” exclaimed the organization founded by the family of the young activist for the rights of black women in Brazil, shot dead in 2018.
At the beginning of May, an operation by the Military Police in the Jacarezinho favela, in the north of Rio de Janeiro, ended with a death toll of 25 civilians and one uniformed man.
In this case, the district’s Public Ministry launched an “independent” investigation into the allegations of police abuses that occurred during the raid against suspected drug traffickers.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
