Brazilian prosecutors are suing Ratinho for misogynistic and discriminatory remarks against Natália Bonavides.

MPF/RN - The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) has filed a public civil action seeking the conviction of Carlos Roberto Massa, known as "Ratinho," and Rádio Massa FM for causing collective moral damage to women who are already active or intend to be active in politics. The MPF requests that the presenter be ordered to pay R$ 2 million in compensation for disseminating gender stereotypes and propagating generalized violence in a speech criticizing federal deputy Natália Bonavides (PT/RN). The agency also requests that Rádio Massa FM be required to broadcast awareness campaigns and actions on women's rights and the fight against gender violence for a minimum period of one year.

The case refers to a radio program hosted by Ratinho on December 15, 2021. According to the lawsuit, while criticizing the congresswoman's political actions regarding Bill 4.004/2021, the host suggested she be eliminated with a "machine gun." In the bill, the congresswoman argues that marriage certificates should not refer to the gender of the couples, to avoid embarrassment for people in the LGBTQIA+ community and to ensure equal treatment.

In addition to the death threat, Ratinho addressed Natália Bonavides in a mocking tone, using discriminatory stereotypes that affect all women, according to the lawsuit. “You have nothing better to do”; “go wash clothes”; “go sew your husband’s pants”; “his underwear”; “go wash dishes”; “this kind of thing is idiotic”; and “we should eliminate these crazy people” were some of the expressions used by the presenter.

According to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, the practice ended up taking on a collective character insofar as:

• It disseminated gender stereotypes against female participation in politics, developing symbolic violence with a clear general intimidation intent;
• He sought to attack the congresswoman precisely because of her capacity as a representative of the people, meaning the offenses were not merely personal but also institutional in nature;
• He adopted a tone of widespread violence, advocating the elimination of all "these lunatics," in the plural.

In the lawsuit, filed in January of this year, federal prosecutor Emanuel de Melo Ferreira argues that when female parliamentarians are criticized solely based on the ideas they defend, it does not constitute gender-based violence, as the criticism is protected by freedom of expression. However, sexist language and the possibility of spreading intimidation, reaching all women with political aspirations, demonstrate the political nature of the violence.

“This is precisely the case at hand, since the expressions used were not limited to criticizing the parliamentary performance of the aforementioned federal deputy on non-discriminatory grounds, as the defendant willfully listed the aforementioned traditional gender roles,” the prosecutor concluded. According to him, in addition to being possibly criminal, the statement caused collective moral damage, insofar as it discriminated against women, even appealing to physical violence.