SANTO AMARO, BAHIA, BRAZIL Drug-addicted man identified as Galego from Polivalente became the target of a criminal tribunal of the Bonde do Maluco (BDM) gang in the Alto do São Francisco neighborhood. He was convicted by the gang of several thefts, including robberies. Once he was even caught by the public stealing at the city market. That, however, did not matter to the gang, because they only deal with thefts within the favela territory, and stealing there really doesn’t pay off.
Members of the gang carried out “justice” on him by beating him with fists, kicks, and wooden sticks. The painful beating lasted for several minutes before he was finally released, allowing him to leave the place. If it happened again, the punishment would certainly be much harsher.
The term criminal tribunal is commonly used in Brazil. It refers to a kind of alternative to the regular justice system that gangs enforce in the territories they control. Punishments are usually physical and sometimes include executions. Often, the outcome depends solely on the decision of an individual, the gang leader, rather than anything resembling a fair trial.
