By Maira Magro
Ângelo Ferreira da Silva is the second convicted assassin of TV journalist Tim Lopes to leave prison while serving a sentence allowing his limited release, the G1 news site reports. Lopes was killed by drug traffickers in 2002 after being captured and tortured while he was reporting on drug and sex trafficking at community dances in a shantytown of Rio de Janeiro.
Silva, sentenced to 15 years in prison, has been a fugitive for almost four months. He left his prison outside of Rio de Janeiro on Feb. 7 as part of a work-release program for those inmates who had already served one sixth of their sentence, O Globo explains.
Another inmate sentenced to 23 years and six months for Lopes' killing, escaped in July 2007 under similar circumstances. Three other men convicted of the killing remain behind bars, but two could gain partial release if the courts permit, the G1 site says.
The president of the Brazilian Press Association says persons convicted of such heinous crimes should be imprisoned more strictly.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
