Child hostages in Brazil
prison riot released
Thirty hostages,
including 16 children,
taken captive during a
prison riot in Maranhao
state, northeastern
Brazil, were released
Wednesday. The hostages
had been held for nearly
24 hours.
The inmates involved in
the riot also
surrendered to the
police and handed over a
firearm they had used
during the incident. The
prisoners backed down
following negotiations
with the police and
Charlene Ribeiro, wife
of Bruno Monteiro da
Silva, leader of the
riot.
The inmates agreed to
surrender after the
center's administrative
director signed a
document promising not
to torture any of the
rioters.
The riot broke out when
Da Silva started
shooting while
penitentiary agents were
distributing snacks to
the inmates' children.
The children were
visiting the inmate
center to attend a party
celebrating Children's
Day. Four people were
injured, including two
agents.
During the negotiations,
the inmates also
requested the transfer
of Da Silva, charged
with provoking the riot,
to another inmate
center.
Maranhao's Secretariat
of Public Security said
it will investigate how
the firearm was taken
into the prison.
This was the third
prison riot this month
in Sao Luis, the state's
capital city.
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