STF Rejects Request to Cancel Interrogations in the Case of the German Consul Accused of Her Husband’s Murder

By unanimous decision, the Second Panel of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) rejected a request to invalidate the interrogations carried out by the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro with the then German consul Uwe Herbert Hahn, accused of the murder of her husband, the Belgian Walter Henri Maximilien Biot, in 2022, in the couple’s apartment in Ipanema.

The diplomat’s defense claimed that, two days after the incident, Hahn gave an “informal” statement to police officers in his apartment, without being informed of the right to silence. He also argued that, during his interrogation at the police station, he was not allowed the presence of a lawyer or interpreter, violating his rights of defense and due legal process.

However, in the virtual session concluded on March 22, the Second Panel rejected the defense’s appeal and confirmed the decision of the rapporteur, Minister Dias Toffoli, who had denied Complaint (RCL) 55136. The minister highlighted that there is no connection between the police acts and the judgment of the actions mentioned by the defense, as there was no coercive conduct in the case.

Toffoli also highlighted that, according to information provided by the police, an interview at the scene of the crime was carried out with the consul’s consent, without confession on his part, as at that time he was not formally investigated. Regarding the statement at the police station, police stated that Hahn chose to speak in English and was informed of his rights, including the right to silence.

The minister emphasized that the defense’s request appears to seek only to suppress the appeal, which is not accepted by the Court.

With information from the Federal Supreme Court (STF).

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