The woman who forgave the man who shot her five times in full court: ‘He always treated me well’

The terrible story happened almost three years ago in Brazil. Micheli Scholosser was 25 years old and was the protagonist of a controversial act during the trial for attempted femicide of her partner, who had shot herself five times during an argument.

Before the court, where the attacker was accused of gender-based violence, the victim asked for her boyfriend’s acquittal: “He’s already paid for his mistake and I’m sure he won’t again. He’s always treated me very well.”

After her statement, the woman asked the judge for permission to hug and kiss Lysander Rafael Posselt, who was 28 at the time. The victim stated before the Court: “I provoked it. He had never attacked me, he was always very good to me,” she said.

Raphael Posselt was sentenced to 7 years of house arrest, five for attempted murder and two for illegal possession of a weapon, because he had no criminal record. Since August 2019, Posselt has been detained and has spent all this time in pre-trial detention.

When in 2020 the court announced the sentence for which the man will not go to jail, the woman applauded. “Nothing like this has ever been seen,” prosecutor in the case, Pedro Rui, said at the time. “The relationship was one of unhealthy jealousy on both sides and violence. The woman was incredibly lucky to be alive. Bullets are still lodged in her body today.”

Shots struck him in the head, left arm and back. Before the femicide attempt there were no previous reports of gender-based violence. “The day before the fact, he had threatened to kill her. And he had said that she would commit suicide later,” added the prosecutor.

According to the account of the judge João Francisco Goulart Borges, the woman said during the trial that she wants to get married and live the rest of her life with the man who tried to kill her.

“There are a lot of people who write a lot of things and know nothing. We are in a relationship and get along very well. And what happened made me stronger. She didn’t want to kill me. Of course he screwed up, but I’m sure he won’t do it again. He has always treated me very well. What man fills his room with pictures of his girlfriend? He did it,” Micheli said at the time.

How did the case go?

After the trial, in February 2020, the man returned to prison to serve his sentence in a semi-open regime.

Posselt was sent to Venancio Aires State Penitentiary to serve out his sentence. The jury convicted him of attempted femicide against his ex, who was shot five times, and of illegal possession of a firearm.

The femicide attempt took place in August 2019, when the woman and Posselt had an argument in the central Venancio Aires square, in the presence of the couple’s friends. after the fight, Posselt left the scene, but returned armed, riding a motorcycle.

When they realized the man was approaching, the friends pushed the young woman into a car. However, poselt fired seven shots through the rear window, hitting the victim five times. She was admitted to a hospital in the region, but recovered from her injuries.

The following day the man presented himself at the police station accompanied by a lawyer and handed over the used weapon. While Posselt was in prison, the woman even asked for a precautionary measure in favor of the accused and she also asked to visit him in prison, which she was denied.