The Civil Police of Santa Catarina indicted the coach of a futsal team in Florianópolis for sexual abuse and sexual harassment. The investigation, which took more than three months, and included the testimony of 12 women, including victims and witnesses, ended in May.
Last month, the Public Ministry agreed with the decision of the Police Department for the Protection of Children, Adolescents, Women and the Elderly of São José and filed a complaint against the coach. The case is in the Court of Justice.
The accused is Reginaldo Valdir Vieira, 31, one of the founders of Sanrosé, a futsal team in the neighboring municipality of Florianópolis. The abuses were committed in the house that served as a shelter for the athletes of the base category. Almost all were minors. Their dormitory was on the same land where Vieira lived with his family. He was coach and manager of the club.
– What crimes would the suspect have committed: the crime of sexual harassment, which is when you practice a lewd act without the consent of the person to satisfy your own lust or that of a third party, which is the case of two teenagers, and the crime of sexual harassment – said delegate Marcela França Goto, responsible for the investigation. The women interviewed in this report gave statements to the Civil Police.
Reginaldo Valdir Vieira with the athletes during Sanrosé training — Photo: Arquivo
– In the investigation, we identified the first teenager, she came and gave the name of other teenagers who had also been victims, they were called and they were also heard. Today all the teenage victims are older, with the exception of one who is 17 years old, but was emancipated – said the delegate.
– Every year there was a girl who was a victim of it – said Monike Rocha, former player of the team
– Over time, he started doing other things, he tried to touch, to have physical contact. Touching intimate parts, kissing attempts – said Carolaine Francisco, who lived in the house for five years.
Most of the athletes in the house were from cities far from the capital.
– The suspect planted this idea of the family environment and put himself in this position of protector, of father, and as he began to invest and harass these victims, you can see that they even get confused – said the delegate.
– There are very serious reports that the suspect, as he had this confidence, he went to the athlete’s house at dawn, took one of these adolescents, took one of these adolescents, took him to his house, which is next to the athlete house, and the other teenagers say that they heard the noise of the bed and that they believe that they were having sexual intercourse. One of the things about the suspect’s profile that is very cruel is that after he has pestered these teenagers he says the following: ”don’t tell anyone, because no one will believe you, you don’t have a family, you’re totally dependent” – added the delegate.
Reginaldo Vieira guiding players during a match — Photo: Arquivo
After the complaint made by the athletes to the city hall, the coach was removed and training was suspended. In November, the futsal team was disbanded.
The Sanrosé project was financed by the São José Sports Foundation, but it never included a home for youth athletes, according to the municipal body. In a statement, the Foundation states that it “did not contain any provision on the existence and maintenance” and that the athlete was unaware of it. According to the agency, after the complaints, it suspended the transfer of funds, which had been renewed annually with the entity since 2014. The last transfer was R$ 98 thousand in 2021, when the project was closed after the complaints of the players.
– Parents or guardians need to obtain as much information as possible about the project. See how the project works, where the project is, who are the professionals who are working on this project, accompany these teenagers to see if something is wrong When these people realize that these victims are being supervised, monitored, this also intimidates them he tries to take advantage of them, as happened in this situation.
We tried to contact the trainer and the defense attorney, who did not return calls. Our team went to Vieira’s address, spoke to the accused’s relatives, left his phone number, but he was not located.
– I’m still in the healing process. It is very difficult, psychologically mainly. I don’t know if it’s fear, if it’s a fear, I believe I couldn’t be in his presence. It’s a fear. I don’t know if it’s disgusting. I have a great fear of being in his presence. I still live a lot in a box, that I can’t move forward, you know, evolve – said Carolaine Francisco.
* Contributed by Cinthia Barlem