It was wonderful, if it weren't so tragic
Em uma sala de audiências no Rio de Janeiro, o julgamento pelo assassinato de Henry Borel, de oito anos, chegou ao seu quinto dia com uma ausência reveladora: o réu Jairinho retirou-se antes de ouvir o pai da criança testemunhar, enquanto a mãe já havia deixado a sessão mais cedo. O depoimento de Leniel Borel — pai, assistente de acusação e ex-marido da corré — trouxe à tona não apenas as últimas horas felizes que passou com o filho, mas também a transformação dolorosa de sua percepção sobre quem deveria ter protegido Henry. No centro do julgamento permanece uma pergunta que transcende o direito penal: o que os adultos responsáveis por uma criança sabiam, e o que escolheram ignorar?
- Jairinho pediu para deixar o tribunal exatamente no momento em que o pai de Henry se preparava para testemunhar, uma saída que não passou despercebida por ninguém na sala.
- Monique Medeiros também não estava presente para ouvir o depoimento do ex-marido, tendo passado mal mais cedo ao ver as fotografias da autópsia do próprio filho.
- Leniel Borel descreveu o último fim de semana com Henry como 'maravilhoso, se não fosse tão trágico' — um menino que brincou na piscina, ganhou um presente e foi a uma festa de aniversário, sem saber que seria o último.
- A recusa de Henry em soltar os braços do pai no domingo, e sua resposta direta de que a mãe 'não era uma boa mãe', tornou-se um dos momentos mais perturbadores do julgamento.
- Uma contradição central emergiu: Leniel inicialmente descreveu Monique como mãe dedicada, mas agora acredita que o crime foi premeditado — mudança que sua defesa atribui a documentos e conversas revelados após o início do processo.
- O julgamento avança sobre a questão decisiva de se a violência que matou Henry foi um ato impulsivo ou algo planejado, enquanto ambos os réus enfrentam acusações de homicídio qualificado, tortura e fraude processual.
Na quinta sessão do júri pelo assassinato de Henry Borel, o réu Jairinho solicitou sair do tribunal antes que Leniel Borel — pai do menino de oito anos e assistente da acusação — começasse a testemunhar. Ele se retirou durante o depoimento do médico-legista, o décimo segundo a depor. Monique Medeiros, mãe de Henry e corré, também já havia deixado a sessão mais cedo, após passar mal ao ver fotografias da autópsia do filho. Nenhum dos dois permaneceu para ouvir o que Leniel tinha a dizer.
O depoimento do pai foi um dos momentos mais aguardados do julgamento. Ele descreveu o último fim de semana com Henry como 'maravilhoso, se não fosse tão trágico': o menino brincou com vizinhos na piscina do prédio, recebeu um presente do pai e foi a uma festa de aniversário de um amigo. Quando chegou a hora de devolvê-lo à mãe, no domingo, Henry resistiu. Agarrou-se ao pai e não queria ir. Leniel tentou confortá-lo, dizendo que a mãe era uma boa mãe. A resposta da criança foi direta: não era.
O juiz apontou uma contradição: em seu depoimento inicial aos investigadores, Leniel havia descrito Monique como uma mãe dedicada e cuidadosa. Agora, ele acredita que o crime foi premeditado. A defesa de Leniel interveio, afirmando que os documentos já juntados ao processo demonstrariam por que sua percepção havia mudado — conversas, registros e informações compartilhadas por familiares, incluindo a avó e uma prima de Henry.
Ambos os réus respondem por homicídio qualificado, tortura, coação no curso do processo e fraude processual. A teoria da acusação é que Jairinho desferiu os golpes que mataram o menino, enquanto Monique silenciou para preservar o relacionamento com quem era, à época, vereador. O julgamento segue reconstituindo os dias que antecederam a morte de Henry e as escolhas feitas pelos adultos que deveriam tê-lo protegido.
The courtroom in Rio de Janeiro fell silent on Friday as the fifth session of the jury trial for Henry Borel's death unfolded. Jairinho, the man accused of killing the eight-year-old boy and the former partner of the child's mother, asked to leave the building just before Leniel Borel—Henry's father and a key prosecution witness—was about to testify. He departed during the testimony of the medical examiner, Luiz Airton Saavedra de Paiva, the twelfth witness to take the stand. Earlier that morning, Henry's mother, Monique Medeiros, had become ill while photographs from her son's autopsy were displayed and had to leave the session early as well.
Leniel Borel's testimony was among the most anticipated moments of the trial. He is not only the boy's father but also an assistant to the prosecution and Monique's ex-husband. Neither Jairinho nor Monique remained in the courtroom to hear what he had to say. When asked about his final weekend with Henry, Leniel spoke with a weight that seemed to fill the room. He described those days as "wonderful, if it weren't so tragic." The boy had played with neighbors in the building's pool, received a gift from his father, and attended a birthday party for one of his friends.
When Sunday came and it was time to return Henry to his mother, the child resisted. He clung to his father's arms and didn't want to let go. Leniel tried to comfort him, telling him that "your mother is a good mother." Henry's response was direct: she was not. The judge noted that in his earlier statement to investigators, Leniel had described Monique as a devoted, careful parent. Now, sitting in the witness box, he acknowledged that his view had shifted. He explained that after reviewing conversations, documents, and information shared by family members—including Henry's grandmother, his cousin, and others connected to the case—his understanding of what happened had fundamentally changed.
The judge pressed on this apparent contradiction. How could Leniel have initially seen Monique as a conscientious mother, yet now believe the crime was premeditated? Leniel's legal team intervened, stating that the evidence and documents already filed in the case would demonstrate and prove why his perception had evolved. It was a moment that exposed the fracture at the heart of the trial: the question of what each parent knew, what each parent did, and whether the violence that killed Henry was a sudden act or something calculated and planned.
Both defendants face charges of qualified homicide, torture, coercion during legal proceedings, and procedural fraud. The prosecution's theory is clear: Jairinho delivered the blows that killed the boy, while Monique stayed silent to preserve her relationship with the man who was then a city councilman. The trial continues to excavate the details of that final weekend, the days leading up to Henry's death, and the choices made by the adults who were supposed to protect him. Each testimony adds another layer to the picture of what happened in that apartment, and what the jury will ultimately have to decide.
Notable Quotes
It was wonderful, if it weren't so tragic— Leniel Borel, Henry's father, describing their final weekend together
Your mother is a good mother— Leniel Borel, recounting what he told Henry during their final separation
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would Jairinho leave before the father testified? What does that choice signal?
It's a practical decision with symbolic weight. He's hearing from the one person who spent the most time with Henry alive in recent days—the one person who can speak to the child's state of mind, his injuries, his fear. Staying would mean facing that testimony directly.
And the mother leaving earlier, during the autopsy photos—is that a pattern?
It suggests both defendants are struggling to remain present for the evidence of what happened to the child. The autopsy photos are the physical truth of the violence. The father's testimony is the emotional and relational truth. Neither is easy to sit through.
The father's change of mind about the mother—from "devoted" to believing the crime was premeditated—that's a major shift. What caused it?
Access. He didn't have the full picture initially. Once he saw the communications, the family accounts, the details others knew, his understanding of Monique's role changed. He realized she may have known more than she was saying.
So the trial is really about reconstructing what each person knew and when they knew it?
Exactly. The prosecution says Jairinho did the physical harm, but Monique's silence—her choice to stay with him, to protect him—that's also part of the crime. The jury has to decide if both are guilty, or just one.
And the father's testimony about Henry clinging to him, saying his mother wasn't good—does that become evidence?
It becomes part of the picture of Henry's state of mind in his final days. Whether he was afraid, whether he was being harmed, whether the adults around him were protecting him or failing him. It's the last voice we have from the child.