Jade Picon’s father sues student who reported him for apologizing for Nazism

In 2022, influencer Jade Picon joined BBB. As usual, viewers of the reality show began to dig into his past, gathering information about the beginning of his career, his family and his affairs until then — like Neymar and João Guilherme, for example. When researching Jade’s origins, the logo of her father’s company, Carlos Picon, caught our attention.

Internet users claimed that the symbol of the Pantanal marble factory, founded by Carlos in 1982, resembled a swastika. The supposed similarity started a stir on social media. Outraged, users of One of these young people who went online was bank employee and IT student Bruno Leite.

In just a few clicks, he opened a formal complaint against Carlos Picon on the São Paulo Public Ministry website for advocating Nazism. According to Bruno, other tweeters made similar complaints that night, but anonymously.

The MP-SP accepted the accusations and opened an investigation against the marble factory, but the investigation was closed due to lack of evidence. The mere similarity of the logo to the Nazi symbol does not prove that Carlos had any intention when using it. With the investigation archived, the businessman decided to counterattack and filed a criminal complaint against Bruno for slanderous reporting.

He was 21 at the time, the same age as Jade. “I was the most naive person in the world. I thought I could give more credibility if the complaint was nominal”, he tells the F5. “I went hunting for scabies to scratch myself.”

‘MOVED BY ANGER’

Two weeks ago, Bruno’s grandparents, with whom he lives in the east zone of São Paulo, were surprised by a court official. “Until I explain that I didn’t do anything wrong…”, says the student.

Without even knowing that he was being prosecuted, Bruno had already been acquitted in the first instance. Carlos’ lawyers appealed and the case went to the second instance. Only now has the young man been summoned to court. He had to quickly hire a lawyer and present his defense.

Tiago Noronha, who agreed to defend Bruno in the case, claims that slanderous denunciation is based on the assumption that whoever complains does so knowing that the accused is innocent. “Bruno had no way of knowing that Carlos was innocent”, he explains. “What my client did was correct, he saw a suspicious symbol and reported it. It is up to the courts to investigate.”

Noronha says he believes the businessman may have acted out of emotion. “In my view, he was driven by anger. He wanted to show strength against someone who is weak compared to him.”

Picon’s lawyer, Guilherme Francisco, disagrees. “Carlos is not involved in litigation,” he says. According to him, his client “even avoided being exhausted” by other accusations of Nazi sympathies, which were multiplying against him at the time. He decided to go ahead only with Bruno’s case. “This case went beyond the legality barrier. It provoked the State machinery knowing that there was no crime to be investigated”, says Francisco.

“I am absolutely sure that there is no reference to a Nazi symbol”, says the lawyer, also citing legal harassment, a term in vogue in the area. “It’s using the Judiciary machine to embarrass someone who, for some reason, doesn’t agree with their thoughts”, he explains.

APOLOGY OF NAZISM

The crime of apologizing for Nazism is provided for in law 7,716/89 and described as “manufacturing, selling, distributing or conveying Nazi symbols”. It can result in two to five years in prison and a fine.

Slanderous denunciation is a crime against the administration of Justice, provided for in article 339, and concerns “initiating an investigative or punitive procedure, attributing a crime to a person who knows he or she is innocent.”

Despite the scare, Bruno says he is confident and says he does not regret the complaint. “I just exercised my right as a citizen,” he says. Regarding the fact that Carlos kept the logo, he shrugs: “Continuing to use the symbol is his right. He must think it’s beautiful. He had the opportunity to reflect, but apparently it didn’t make much difference.”

The reporter contacted Carlos Picon, but he said he had nothing to comment on the matter. “My lawyer is taking care of this”, he simply stated. The MP-SP states that “the case is at the TJ to judge the appeal filed by Carlos Picon.”