Supreme Court reduces sentence of man who killed a woman

The Supreme Court of Justice (STJ) reduced a man's prison sentence for the murder of a Brazilian citizen from 22 to 16 years. The initial sentence was 25 years, later reduced to 22 by the Évora Court of Appeal. The STJ determined that the evidence did not support a conviction for qualified homicide, only for simple homicide, which carries a lesser penalty. The case involved the murder of Josielly Fontes, whose charred body was found in Alentejo. The accused, José Mascarenhas, had planned to steal the victim's bank cards, leading to her death. The STJ concluded that the circumstances did not demonstrate the necessary special culpability for a qualified homicide conviction.