Police indict Rafael Ramos for alleged racial slur against Edenilson

Deputy Roberto Sahagoff, head of the 2nd Police Station of Porto Alegre, indicted Corinthians side Rafael Ramos for an alleged act of racial slur against Internacional midfielder Edenilson. The investigation was concluded on Monday (13) and sent to the Public Ministry.

Last week, the IGP-RS (Instituto Geral de Perícias do Rio Grande do Sul) delivered a report stating that it could not confirm what was said at that moment of discussion of the game between the teams, in May, in Beira-Rio, through of lip reading. For the indictment, they were taken in expert reports hired by both parties, in addition to the victim’s word.

“From that, there were enough indications, that’s why he was indicted”, said the delegate.

Now, the Public Prosecutor’s Office will be able to ask for new evidence, continue the case or even choose to archive it.

remember the case

Internacional and Corinthians played on the 14th, in Porto Alegre. On the field, midfielder Edenilson, from the home team, told referee Braulio da Silva Machado that he had suffered a racial slur by Rafael Ramos. The protest was recorded in a summary, a document that served as the basis for the arrest of the Portuguese player, even before the Inter player filed a complaint.

In the summary, Braulio described what he heard from the players: “At the 31st minute of the second half, when the match was at a standstill, I was informed [por Edenilson] that your opponent [Rafael Ramos], had uttered the following words to him: ‘Fuck you, Monkey’. At this point, I stop the game and call the players involved to report what had happened. Rafael Ramos claims that there was a misunderstanding due to his (Portuguese) accent and says he uttered the following words: ‘Fuck, fuck’.”

On Instagram, Edenilson said he knows what he heard. “It bothers me that I’m getting attention other than playing football: getting called names for my skin tone,” he said. “I looked for the athlete so that he would come out and apologize to me, after all, we all make mistakes and we have the right to admit it, but he continued to say that I had understood it wrong. I didn’t understand it wrong.”

The player spoke again about the case after the match against Independiente Medellín, when he scored two goals and celebrated with an anti-racist gesture. According to him, he was judged by many people for making the complaint.

Rafael Ramos, who had bail paid during the night of the match in Beira-Rio, said that the complaint made by Edenilson would have been “purely a misunderstanding”.

“I’m here with a clear conscience and head to explain what happened. At the end of the game I went to have a conversation with him, we had a quiet conversation. I explained what had happened, he explained what he had understood. I explained the truth. He showed fear pretending to be a liar, and I explained to him that he’s not a liar, that he just got it wrong. We shook hands, and I wish him good luck,” he said.

The investigation of the accusation of racial slur is being conducted by the Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul, which earlier this week asked for images of the moment when Rafael Ramos would have committed the crime against Edenilson.

On May 18, the Senate Plenary approved a bill (PL 4,566/2021) that increases penalties for the crime of racial slur in sporting events. Currently, the Penal Code stipulates the penalty of one to three years of detention. The text calls for an increase in the period to two to five years. The PL was directed to the Chamber of Deputies.

On the 8th, the IGP-RS expert report said that it was not possible to confirm what Rafael Ramos said to Edenilson.

Annoyed, the Inter player changed his name to ‘Monkey’ on his social media and protested.