On June 11th, 1992, Megaron Txucarramae, director of Xingu National
Park, Rosane Garcia, a journalist for Funai (federal agency for
Indigenous affairs), and Marcio Santilli, executive-secretary for
Nucleo of Indigenous Rights (NGO), went to the "Aldeia do A-Ukre", on
the south of the State of Para, and interviewed the Caiapo leader
Paulinho Paiaka, accused of raping and torturing a young womam in the
city of Redenao (Para) on June 7th with the help of his wife
Irekran. Paiaka's version of the facts was taped on video and audio
in Portuguese and publicizes. A brief summary of Paiaka's version is
below:
1. Paiaka, Irekran, the supposed victim and several other people
participated, on June 7th, of a barbecue party in a small farm close
to the city of Redenao, and they all drank a lot of bear. Paiaka and
the young woman, Leticia, talked for a long time, leaving Irekran
very jealous. According to Paiaka, her jealousy was injustified.
2. The supposed victim had already participated of other similiar
events in the same place. She, Paiaka, Irekran and their 5-year-old
daughter were on their way back to Redenao, after the barbecue
party, when Irekran asked Paiaka to stop the car. Irekran jumped to
the back seat of the car, and started to hit the woman, punching,
biting and scratching her. Paiaka tried to stop the fight, but unded
up getting envolved in it. At a certain point, the woman opened the
door's car and ran away, running towards the opposite side of the
city of Redenao.
3. Paiaka denies the accusation that he raped or had any sexual
contact with the young woman, on that day or in any another occasion.
4. Paiaka denies that any bleeding has occured, and denies that he or
Irekran have painted themselves with the woman's blood. He also
denies that the car was left dirty with blood.
5. Paiaka denies the accusation that he tried to kill the woman with
a piece of wire, as it was stated by one supposed witness.
6. Paiaka admits that he made two mistakes that day: he drank too
much and got involved in a fight betwen two women, motivated by
jealousy.
7. Paika said that two days after this incident, on June 9th, the
victim was nursed by a doctor in Redenao, who convinced her and her
father to go to the local police and file an accusation of rape
against Paiaka, in exchange for an economic compensation.
8. The doctor mentioned above is the same one who, approximately one
year ago, along with other two doctors, made a surgery in Irekran,
leaving her sterile, without the authorization of Paiaka or Irekran.
Paiaka brought a legal suit against these doctors, with the purpose
of punishing them for this act.
9. The doctors who sterilized Irekran were responsible for the false
report about the supposed rape. They telephoned to the governor of
the State of Para, Jader Barbalho, who passed on the false facts,
with exclusivity, to the magazine "Veja".
10. Paiaka said that he does not know of any involvement of logging
companies with the incident.
Brasilia, June 12th, 1992.
Marcio Santilli, Executive Secretary NDI