Fátima Lo, mother of eight-time world champion Leandro Lo, just announced her intention to appeal the stunning jury verdict that freed the military police officer responsible for her son’s passing.
“We will appeal, yes, because there was no justice,”
Fátima declared following the conclusion of the three-day trial that ended late Friday night at the Criminal Forum in Barra Funda, São Paulo.
Military police officer Henrique Otavio Oliveira Velozo walked free from the Romão Gomes military prison in the early hours of Saturday morning after a jury of five women and two men voted to acquit him. The panel accepted the defense’s claim of self-defense in the August 7, 2022 that claimed the life of the 33-year-old martial arts icon inside the Clube Sírio in the Indianópolis neighborhood.
The tragedy unfolded during a music event when Velozo ended Leandro’s life using his service weapon. The champion was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Velozo had surrendered to internal affairs and remained in custody at the military prison until his acquittal.
In an emotional video message posted online, Fátima described the ordeal as reliving her son’s passing.
“Yesterday I buried Leandro for the second time,”
she said, her voice thick with emotion. She recounted feeling humiliated and overwhelmed during the proceedings even requiring medical attention at one point during the three days of testimony.
The grieving mother challenged key elements of the defense’s presentation, particularly digital slides she described as fabricated, which allegedly depicted her son applying jiu-jitsu techniques that would have been impossible given the circumstances.
“He wasn’t wearing sleeves, and they weren’t wearing kimonos,”
she explained, refuting claims about specific grappling used to make self defense claim.
Fátima also pointed to medical evidence showing Velozo’s body examination revealed no injuries contradicting defense narratives. Meanwhile she was forced to view graphic hospital photographs of her son showing the fatal wound and additional trauma.
“The defendant can lie, the justice system allows the defendant to lie. So he lied a lot. He invented his story there, guided by his defense.”
João Carlos Calsavara, the prosecutor who brought charges on behalf of the Public Ministry, expressed serious concerns about the proceedings. He characterized the jury as
“complicated, with flaws”
and stated his belief that the decision would be overturned on appeal.
The prosecutor had initially sought a conviction carrying at least 20 years imprisonment based on three aggravating factors: base motives, use of treacherous methods, and ambush. The prosecution maintained that Velozo intentionally aimed for the individual’s head.
Defense attorney Cláudio Dalledone Jr. celebrated the outcome differently:
“Justice prevailed and arbitrariness was removed.”
Nine witnesses testified during the trial split between prosecution and defense along with testimony from the accused himself. Following the witness phase both sides presented their closing arguments before the jury retired to deliberate. Brazilian law requires only four of seven jurors to agree for a verdict.
Judge Fernanda Jacomini of the 1st Jury Court read the final decision absolving Velozo of all charges.
The verdict sent rage through the global jiu-jitsu community which had rallied around the Lo family since the tragedy. Fátima took time to thank the martial arts community for their unwavering support throughout the legal process.
“I want to thank the Jiu-Jitsu community, who has always been with us always supporting us who is crying with us who is *** with us through this impunity,”
she said.
She also expressed gratitude to her legal team including Dr. Adriano and his colleagues who will continue representing the family through the appeals process.
The case had already seen legal complications. In October a civilian court overturned the São Paulo government’s decision to dismiss Velozo from the police force ordering his reinstatement and the resumption of his monthly salary exceeding 14,000 reais.
Leandro Lo Pereira do Nascimento was widely regarded as one of the greatest jiu-jitsu competitors of his generation having captured eight world championship titles across multiple weight divisions. His technical brilliance and competitive spirit made him a beloved figure in the sport’s global community.
The family’s legal team now faces the task of identifying procedural grounds for appeal while processing their profound disappointment with the jury’s determination.
Fátima closed her message with resolve:
“We will continue with this, we will appeal.”
