Woman is convicted of racial insult in Araguaçu after online offense A woman was sentenced by the Tocantins Court to two years and nine months in prison for racial insults against a clothing seller. The decision, handed down by the 1st Criminal Office of Araguaçu, also determined the payment of R$5,000 to the victim for moral damages. The crime took place in February 2023, after a disagreement related to payments at a store in Araguaçu, in the southern region of the state. According to the case, the convict, Eliete de Sousa Santos, sent messages through a messaging application, offending the seller with several aggressive terms, including the racist expression "disgusting denial". Furthermore, the decision pointed out that the accused used social media to continue the offenses, publishing racist insults. Despite the open sentence, judge Fabiano Gonçalves Marques replaced the prison sentence with two alternative measures: providing services to the community and paying a minimum wage. The defendant was also sentenced to pay a fine. The defense can still appeal the decision. 📱 Click here to follow the g1 TO channel on WhatsApp g1 contacted the Public Defender's Office of the State of Tocantins (DPE-TO), responsible for Eliete's defense, to request a position on the conviction, but did not receive a response until the last update of this report. READ ALSO: Young man is found lying next to a motorbike and dies before being admitted to hospital Family who died in an accident on TO-110 was returning from a trip to visit relatives How rural credit fraud worked that led to R$141.7 million being blocked in TO Case happened in Araguaçu after a commercial disagreement via WhatsApp Disclosure/TJTO In the sentence, the judge highlighted that racial insult is equated to the crime of racism, being imprescriptible and non-bailable. The judge stated that commercial discussions or the "heat of the moment" do not justify offenses that seek to demean a person because of their color or race. "The State has a duty to punish conduct that seeks to degrade individuals to the status of subhumanity," stated the judge in the decision. Evidence of the crime included screenshots (prints) of messages sent by the accused and statements taken during the hearing. See more news from the region on g1 Tocantins.