Court dismisses allegations of sexual harassment against former CBF president

Permanently removed from the presidency of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) since February this year, Rogério Caboclo no longer responds in court to lawsuits for sexual harassment. A former director of the entity, who accused him of moral harassment, retreated in his complaint.

Elected to the post after the 2018 World Cup, Caboclo was the target of three allegations of sexual harassment. One of them, against an employee of the presidency, led to his removal. Still working for the CBF, but in another role, she recorded lewd statements and sexual offers made by the director.

Then came two other complaints. One of them was shelved on the initiative of the MP-RJ (Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro) in July this year. The other had a request for habeas corpus, filed by Luciana Barbosa Pires and Alan Carlos Deodoro de Oliveira, lawyers from Caboclo, approved by the TRF-2 (Federal Regional Court of the 2nd Region) by two votes to one.

In the case that led to the removal, Caboclo made an agreement with the MP. He did not admit guilt, but paid an undisclosed amount of damages.

Under the administration of Ednaldo Rodrigues, current representative of the CBF, the victim was removed from the presidency and allocated to the ceremonial area, which also takes care of the restaurant at the entity’s headquarters, in Barra da Tijuca, west of Rio de Janeiro.

Caboclo had been denounced by Fernando França, former director of Information Technology, who pointed out moral harassment to the Confederation’s Ethics Commission.

In August of this year, França presented a letter, registered at the 19th Notary Public Office of Rio de Janeiro, denying its first statement. He gave a new version, saying that, on April 21, he had a heated discussion with the president and decided, “taken by emotion and in a thoughtless way”, to make a formal complaint.

“After calmly reflecting on the situation, I see today that I was too quick to offer the aforementioned complaint”, explained in a document to which the Sheet had access.

In the investigation opened by the Public Prosecutor’s Office about alleged sexual harassment of another CBF employee (identities will be preserved), the prosecution says it believes there was no materiality in the complaint.

The decision took place because the first episode would have occurred at a time when the law provided for a period of up to six months for the accusation to be made – and the whistleblower only formalized it after that. The legislation was later amended, and a new complaint was filed by the same person. But, according to the Public Ministry, there were no indications that Caboclo used his hierarchical status to harass his accuser.

In the third case, referring to another subordinate, Caboclo’s lawyer argued that the fact that he had passed his hand through the complainant’s arm three times during a flight did not constitute sexual harassment. Her thesis was accepted.

In contact with the report, lawyer Luciana Pires said she could not comment on the proceedings against her client because of the secrecy of justice. In a note, he said that “the filing of the criminal action and investigation against Rogério Caboclo for atypical conduct and lack of materiality, for the crime of harassment, both by the federal and state courts, only demonstrate that the image created in his disfavor were frivolous and unfair. There was a public lynching with misguided and malicious prejudgments. Accusations like these need a state reprimand so that such facts do not happen again.”

Rogério Caboclo declined to comment on the processes.

His return to the CBF does not seem possible, since, after his removal, the entity made an agreement with the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro and concluded that the election that elected him was irregular.

The report was unable to contact the women who accused Caboclo.