be submitted to the Plenary of the Legislative Assembly to be approved or rejected by secret ballot of the majority of the deputies.82 64. Also in force at the time of the facts of this case, the Code of Ethics and Parliamentary Decorum, approved by the Legislative Assembly of the state of Paraíba in 1997, through Resolution 599/97, created the Council of Ethics and Parliamentary Decorum and granted it jurisdiction to “issue an opinion in processes of authorization to prosecute a deputy.”83 C. The homicide of Márcia Barbosa de Souza 65. Márcia Barbosa de Souza was a twenty year-old Afrodescendant student who lived in the city of Cajazeiras,84 located in the interior of the state of Paraíba,85 in the northeast of Brazil. She lived with her father, S.R.S. and her younger sister, Mt.B.S., and very close to the house of her mother, M.B.S. They were a family of limited financial means.86 Márcia Barbosa and her younger sister, who was just 17 years old at the time,87 were students. Márcia was about to finish her last year of high school and intended to look for a job to contribute to the family income.88 Her mother worked as a cleaner at a municipal school in Cajazeiras, and her father was a municipal employee and a taxi driver.89 66. Ms. Barbosa de Souza traveled to João Pessoa, the capital of Paraíba, in November 1997 and May 1998 and stayed at the home of her friend M.S.C. and her husband U.M.S.90 Subsequently, she traveled to that city on June 13, 1998, with her sister Mt.B.S.91 to participate in a Convention of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB).92 After the Convention, Ms. Mt.B.S returned to Cajazeiras93 and Márcia Barbosa de Souza remained in João Pessoa, possibly to look for work,94 and stayed at the “Canta-Maré” hotel-lodge.95 Cf. Internal Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Assembly of the state of Paraíba, supra. Cf. Code of Ethics and Parliamentary Decorum, Resolution Nº 599/97 of the Legislative Assembly of the state da Paraíba (evidence file, folio 6093). 84 Cf. Death certificate of Márcia Barbosa de Souza (evidence file, folios 4590). Said death certificate described Ms. Barbosa de Souza as brown (“parda”). In its census, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) considers the Brazilian population, by self-declaration, as white, black, yellow, brown and indigenous (“branca”, “preta”, “amarela”, “parda” and “indígena”). 85 Cf. Medical-legal autopsy report, of June 18, 1998 (evidence file, folios 34 to 46). 86 Cf. Video statement of M.B.S., supra; Statement rendered by affidavit by M.B.S, supra; Video statement of Mt.B.S., supra; Affidavit of Mt.B.S, supra; Expert psychosocial opinion of Gilberta Santos Soares, rendered by affidavit, supra (evidence file, folio 10337), and newspaper article in “Correio da Paraíba” of July 23, 1998 (evidence file, folio 282). 87 Cf. Statement of Mt.B.S. rendered by affidavit, supra. 88 Cf. Statement of M.B.S. rendered by affidavit, supra. 89 Cf. Statement of S.R.S., of June 19, 1998, to the Police Homicide Division of João Pessoa (evidence file, folios 18 and 19); Death certificate of Márcia Barbosa de Souza, supra, and newspaper article in “Correio da Paraíba”, supra. 90 Cf. Statement of M.S.C., of August 10, 1998, to the Police Homicide Division of João Pessoa (evidence file, folios 21 to 23). 91 Cf. Statement of S.R.S., supra. 92 Cf. Statement of M.S.C., supra; stenographic record of the public hearing prepared by the Human Rights Commission of the Legislative Assembly of Paraíba on July 30, 1998 (evidence file, folios 4774 to 4807), and newspaper article “PMs will provide security at PMDB meeting”, published in Folha de São Paulo, of June 10, 1998. Available at: https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/Brazil/fc10069816.htm. 93 Cf. Statement of Mt.B.S. of July 2, 1998, to the Homicide Division of João Pessoa (evidence file, folios 8631 and 8632). 94 Cf. Statement of Mt.B.S. rendered by affidavit, supra (evidence file, folios 10178 and 10182). 95 Statement of Wilson Martins de Souza, of June 29, 1998, made to the Homicide Division of João Pessoa (evidence file, folio 3888). 82 83 -21-