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Justice for Carol Campelo – a hate crime that did not go unpunished
After nearly two years of struggle, justice was finally achieved for Carol Campelo – a young lesbian brutally murdered in Brazil.On December 10, 2023, Carol Campelo, a 21-year-old lesbian, was brutally murdered in Maranhãozinho, in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. Her body was found showing extreme signs of violence, including the removal of the skin from her face, eyes, and scalp. From the very beginning, it was clear that this was a hate crime motivated by lesbophobia.
Carol had recently moved to the town to live with her girlfriend and begin a new chapter of her life – but her story was cruelly cut short simply because of who she was: a lesbian.
To ensure that this crime did not go unpunished, All Out joined forces with Coletiva LesboAmazônidas and launched an online petition calling for:
- a timely and fair investigation;
- the recognition of the murder as a hate crime;
- the advancement of the Luana Barbosa Bill in Maranhão, to strengthen protections for lesbian women against violence in the state.
More than 126,000 people from around the world signed the call for justice.
In May 2024, the Public Prosecutor’s complaint was accepted by the Maranhão court, and the main suspect was formally charged. Even so, more than a year passed without a trial being scheduled, deepening the family’s pain and the sense of impunity.
In August 2025, on the eve of Brazil’s National Lesbian Visibility Day, the mobilization gained strength once again. Alongside local activists and Carol’s family, All Out helped organize a powerful symbolic action using 20,000 red rose petals – Carol’s favorite flowers – to draw the authorities’ attention and keep her memory alive.
And it worked: the trial was finally scheduled!
On November 5, 2025 – almost two years after the crime – justice was finally served. Carol Campelo’s killer was sentenced to 27 years and 8 months in prison, with the crime recognized as a hate crime with three aggravating factors. More than 126,000 signatures were added to the court case, and the petition delivery letter was read aloud in the courtroom by the case’s lawyer, in front of the jurors – playing a fundamental role in securing the conviction.
From global mobilization to local action, from direct support for the family to powerful acts of memory and resistance, every step made it clear that Carol would not be forgotten. Her story is a painful reminder of the violence that still affects LGBT+ people, but also of the strength of a community that refuses to accept silence and impunity.
Justice for Carol Campelo shows that when we fight together, change happens.
