Brazilian actor Marco Furlan has been taken into police custody and placed in pretrial detention after being caught in the act of allegedly assaulting a five-year-old autistic boy during a birthday gathering in Pindamonhangaba, a rural area in the state of São Paulo.
The incident took place during the early hours of Sunday morning. According to official police records, the child’s mother had placed her son to sleep in one of the bedrooms of the residence where guests were staying, according to JN who cited G1.
She rushed to the room after hearing screams and discovered the child and the suspect without clothing, with the young boy reporting severe pain. An additional witness told law enforcement that the child was heard explicitly asking the suspect to stop due to physical distress.
Upon initial questioning by responding officers, Furlan claimed he had mistaken the young boy for his girlfriend. In subsequent statements made alongside legal representation, the actor asserted that he had consumed alcohol and could not recall the sequence of events.
Read more: Brazil: over 300k young people dead due to violence in 11 years
While preliminary medical examinations did not reveal physical injuries, the investigating magistrate cited consistent witness testimonies establishing the commission of illicit sexual acts against a minor, ordering Furlan held in preventive custody on charges of statutory sexual assault.
Furlan is a recognized television actor in Brazil, having gained public prominence in 2009 through his role in the broadcast series “Aline.” He has also appeared in network productions for HBO and Record, alongside featuring in numerous commercial advertising campaigns.
