Conflicting Testimonies Cloud Rape Allegation Against Brazilian Lawmaker Alfredo Gaspar

Brazilian federal deputy Alfredo Gaspar (PL‑AL) is at the center of a rape allegation that has produced contradictory accounts, turning the case into a political flashpoint. The accusation, first brought to Senator Soraya Thronicke (PSB‑MS) in March 2026, claims Gaspar abused a 13‑year‑old girl from Alagoas eight years earlier. A witness, Luiz Antonio Lopes, initially supported the claim but later told legislative police that the story was a setup orchestrated by opposition lawmakers.

Allegations and shifting testimony

According to O Globo, Lopes said he contacted Thronicke’s staff describing a young woman from Alagoas who had been impregnated by Gaspar when she was a minor. He asked for money to provide further details, and the story was shared with Deputy Lindbergh Farias (PT‑RJ). At the time, Gaspar was serving as rapporteur of a Congressional Inquiry Committee (CPI) on the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) that was examining allegations against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s eldest son, Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, known as Lulinha. Gaspar had urged the committee to recommend Lulinha’s indictment, a move rejected by the panel.

The accusation surfaced publicly on March 27, when Gaspar was interrupted while reading the CPI report. Lindbergh replied he would not “lose time” and Gaspar retorted, calling Lindbergh a “rapist” in reference to a nickname from Operation Car Wash spreadsheets. The exchange sparked a scuffle and mutual accusations outside the chamber. Later that day, Thronicke and Lindbergh filed a request with the Federal Police director‑general to investigate the alleged rape.

The six‑page document submitted to the police asserted that Gaspar had committed rape of a vulnerable minor, citing documents and conversations as evidence. Gaspar denied the claim, shared a video in which a woman denied being his daughter and said her father was a cousin of the deputy, and asked the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to order a DNA test. He also filed slander suits against Lindbergh and Thronicke in the STF.

Political repercussions and witness reversal

Lopes later gave a contradictory testimony to the Legislative Police, stating that a woman named Marcela, who worked at his ice‑cream kiosk in a Rio de Janeiro shopping mall, had been coached by Lindbergh and an aide to pose as “Jailma” and falsely claim she was abused by Gaspar. Lopes said his own bank account received two Pix transfers totaling R$ 16,500 (roughly USD 3,200 at recent rates) from individuals linked to the alleged scheme, though the senders said they were merely facilitating a third‑party request.

Lindbergh denied participating in any plot, saying he had forwarded Lopes’s audio recordings to the Federal Police as required. He described Lopes as a “picareta” (swindler) who changed sides after realizing the accusation could backfire. Lopes, who joined Gaspar’s party (PL) in April 2026, told O Globo he possesses proof of the original allegation but has not presented it, saying “each must carry their own cross.”

Legal status and next steps

The Federal Police forwarded the case to the STF, where Minister Gilmar Mendes, acting as relator, ordered Thronicke to provide additional information within 15 days. The Prosecutor General’s Office awaits those details before deciding whether to endorse the police’s request to open an inquiry. The final decision rests with Mendes.

“My material is at the disposal of Justice for five months. My truth does not matter; what matters is the scientific truth.”

– Alfredo Gaspar, speaking to O Globo about the DNA test request.