New details have emerged in the case of the Brazilian woman who died after workers forgot to attach her bungee cord. As we previously reported, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas tragically passed away on June 13.
According to Unilad, the three instructors who were recorded pushing her off the bridge have been charged with "homicide with implied malice". That charge means that they didn't mean to kill her, but they're still responsible. The charge is similar to manslaughter in the US.
They have been named as 32-year-old Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff; Vitor de Freitas Gonçalves; and 42-year-old Maicon Fernandes Cintra. They are currently being held in preventative detention.
According to local news outlets, the three instructors appeared dazed and confused when questioned by police. They could not explain why they had not connected the rope to Freitas, nor whose responsibility it was to attach it to her.
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One Instructor Changed Clothes After the Woman's Death
Egoroff was questioned on why he was seen in differing clothes to that he wore during the viral video. He explained that "My shirt was already wet, it was very dirty. I went to the car and put on a clean one." He denied changing clothes in an attempt to flee, saying that "We're here - nobody ran."
Cintra also denied allegations that he had fled. He also blamed Egoroff for the lack of safety checks in the lead up to Freitas' tragic death. He stated he normally participated in parts of the checks. This included checking the helmet, but he explained that Egoroff was the one who usually did the rope checks. Cintra couldn't remember if this had been done or not.
Officers that were called to the scene told the court that the instructors disappeared into a wooded area as one officer supported the logistics of the rescue.
The instructors were eventually tracked down by other officers in patrol cars and air support.
Judge Paulo Henrique Stahlberg Natal of the Limeira Criminal Court in Brazil explained found five aggravating factors that contributed to their preventative detention, including an attempt to obstruct the investigation and gross negligence.
