Together for around three decades, José Castelo Branco and Betty Grafstein remain in the spotlight, after the nonagenarian accused her husband of domestic violence. Despite continuing to deny mistreating his wife, the socialite is a suspect and will be questioned, with several scenarios open for now.
According to a judge heard by JN, firstly, due to advanced age, the victim “can testify for future memory, as an anticipation of the production of evidence at trial, which also works as a form of protection for the victim. This avoids what is known as secondary victimization, that is, the consecutive repetition of testimonies”, says the source.
“In this investigation, even though he is not yet accused, the suspect must have a defender representing him. After this, it is expected that the suspect will be heard and, eventually, the application of coercive measures can be promoted – which can range from prohibition of contact and distance from the victim, when returning home, to preventive detention, depending on of the signs and intensity of the dangers in question”, explains the judicial source, without referring to the specific case.
