Man accused of theft by Zara sues for millions in damages.
"I hope this measure will make them rethink their actions and help prevent it from happening to other people," said Luís Fernandes Júnior.
247 - Luís Fernandes Júnior, a Black man accused and harassed by security guards at the Shopping da Bahia mall in Salvador for stealing a backpack from Zara, will seek R$1 million in damages in a lawsuit against the store and the shopping center, according to information from [source missing]. G1.
The victim's lawyer, Thiago Thobias, is awaiting a response from the judiciary next week to file the lawsuit. According to Thobias, the amount needs to be sufficient to "economically cripple a company the size of Zara," and thus prevent other racist crimes.
“I know that nothing will pay for or erase this humiliation, but I hope this is a measure that makes them rethink their actions and helps ensure that it doesn't happen to other people again,” said Luís Fernandes Júnior.
Remember the case
Fernandes Júnior, 28, who is originally from Guinea-Bissau and has lived in Bahia for seven years, bought a backpack at Zara on the 28th for R$329.
Fernandes recounts that he had to leave the store to make a withdrawal and, upon returning to the checkout, paid for the product, took the receipt, and went to the bathroom before returning to the store because he had forgotten his change. At that moment, he was approached by security in the bathroom.
"At first, I didn't pay any attention because I had no idea it would happen to me. Then he came close to me and said, 'I want you to return the backpack you stole from the Zara store right now.' I replied that I had bought the backpack and even said I had the receipt, but he wouldn't listen and insisted that I return it," she recalls.
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