Arrest İn Brazil After Woman Lynched Over Rumors Dies

Police have arrested a man and are searching for further suspects after a woman died after being beaten by locals as a results of rumors posted online, local media reported Wednesday.



The woman, Fabiane Maria de Jesus, 33, was attacked by a group of people Saturday in the coastal city of Guarujá in São Paulo state, after rumors appeared on a social media website that she had kidnapped a number of children for black magic rituals.



A number of abductions have been reported in the region, but police say there is no evidence connecting de Jesus with any such crime, Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported.



The housewife was rescued from the scene by police but had suffered serious head injuries and died Monday in a local hospital.



Police say a 48-year-old man has been arrested and has admitted his role in the assault. He is believed to have struck the woman on the head with a piece of wood. 



Shocking footage of the lynching, which shows the woman's apparently-lifeless body being beaten and dragged along a dirt track in a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, have been shared widely on social media and broadcast on Brazilian television.



Police say at least ten people were actively involved in the attack, but footage shows dozens of people shouting obscenities at the woman and inciting further violence. 



São Paulo state governor Geraldo Alckmin, visiting the city Wednesday, labeled the attack "barbaric".



"The whole affair was very sad. It's an act of barbarity committed against an innocent person who had nothing to do with the rumor," GloboNews "ed the governor as saying. 



"Our complete solidarity with the family and the police in catching those responsible and bringing them to justice."



Alckmin also revealed that police had identified at least five other suspects, in addition to the arrest already announced, who are expected to be brought into police custody in the coming hours. 



All were identified from footage handed to police or uploaded to social media.



Although a small minority has defended the group's actions, the vast majority of Brazilians have voiced their horror at the attack. 



A protest march by friends and family followed de Jesus's funeral.



Guarujá is a coastal port city located 60km from São Paulo and a favorite with families from the state capital due to its beaches and close proximity.



englishnews@aa.com.tr - Washington DC