Brazilian Couple Sentenced to Prison for Homeschooling Their Own Children
Brazilian authorities sentenced two homeschooling parents, Audato and Ieda Denardi, too 50 days in prison for educating their daughters at home and refusing to include gender and sex education. The court accused them of “intellectual neglect,” citing their daughters’ limited exposure to certain cultural aspects, despite the girls being skilled pianists and multilingual. The parents are appealing the decision, arguing they have the right to choose their children’s education. This legal action marks the first criminal conviction for homeschooling in Brazil, where the practice remains legally ambiguous despite a 2019 Supreme Court ruling that homeschooling is not unconstitutional, provided there’s a federal law. Current legislation is incomplete, leading to uncertainty and potential penalization for homeschooling families.
Brazilian authorities sentenced two homeschooling parents to prison for educating their own daughters and refusing to teach them about left-wing gender ideology.
Audato and Ieda Denardi received 50-day prison sentences, with a court claiming they are guilty of “intellectual neglect,” according to a June 16 release from ADF International.
The two girls, aged 15 and 11, were deemed to be uneducated in cultural diversity because they were unfamiliar with “trap” and “sertanejo” music.
But both girls are “accomplished pianists and speak multiple languages,” according to the release.
The judge also noted that the parents did not incorporate “gender and sex education” curriculum into their home education programming.
The Denardis are appealing the ruling and “challenging the state’s attempt to imprison them for exercising their right to direct their children’s education,” ADF International added.
The 7 Cãmara Criminal do Tribunal de Justiça do Estado de São Paulo, which is the highest court in their state, will consider the appeal.
“As a mother, I cannot conceive a more dictatorial state than the one that wants me in jail because I chose to exercise my right to direct the education and upbringing of my daughters,” Ieda Denardi said in the release.
“My husband and I are hopeful the court will recognize our right to choose the best education for our children and overturn this unjust conviction.”
Even the prosecutor had recommended that the court acquit the parents, concluding that the girls were by no means neglected.
The judge wrote in his opinion that the Denardis were “using their daughters as pawns in an ideological struggle, subjecting them to a form of unregulated education, the effectiveness and quality of which lack adequate metrics within the Brazilian legal system, while completely excluding the State’s involvement.”
Some Brazilian lawmakers have taken notice of the plight of homeschooling families.
The South American nation’s House of Representatives passed a homeschooling bill in 2022, but the legislation has not yet advanced in the Senate.
ADF International noted that although 70,000 Brazilian children are homeschooled, there is not a “clear legal framework” for parents.
The Brazilian Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that homeschooling did not violate their Constitution, but said there must be a federal law to handle the practice.
Without such a law, parents have faced an unclear legal environment and a constant possibility of punishment.
“Until now, it has been treated as an administrative offense for failing to register the children in school,” ADF International said.
“The Denardis are the first parents to be criminally convicted for homeschooling their children.”
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