The death of cyclist Cláudio Rafael Landeiro, beaten in Copacabana on August 11 after being falsely accused of being a bicycle thief, has reignited the debate about "street justice" — the practice of imposing punishments outside official laws. While lynchings occur sporadically on the streets, in communities dominated by drug trafficking and militia, this type of violence is an established routine.
In areas controlled by criminal organizations in Rio de Janeiro, these groups impose their own codes of conduct, functioning as parallel tribunals. They judge residents, decree sentences, and apply penalties ranging from humiliation and physical assault to death.
Security and Defense specialist Júlia Quirino points out a similarity between Cláudio Rafael's case and what happens in the favelas: the speed with which people feel authorized to administer justice, without the right to defense or cross-examination, revealing a culture of immediate punishment that transcends poor territories.
