Criminal Law
Criminal Law: guidance and defense in police reports, investigations, and criminal proceedings
A summons to give a statement, a protective order, charges accepted by the court. Whether you are the victim, the person under investigation, or a witness, the guidance starts from your position in the case and from what is already on record — with professional confidentiality from the first contact.
The chat opens with a ready-made message, which you can edit before sending.
- First contact via WhatsApp
- In person in Belém/PA or by video call
- Professional confidentiality from the first conversation
Do any of these situations sound familiar?
- You were summoned to give a statement at the police station and do not know in what capacity you will be heard.
- You need to request a protective order, or you were notified of an order against you.
- You were charged or served in criminal proceedings.
- You suffered threats or insults, including through messages or social media.
- You filed, or want to file, a police report and need to understand the next steps.
If any of them resembles what you are going through, tell us what happened. The team will point out where to start.
Message us on WhatsAppPolice investigations and criminal proceedings have their own procedures and safeguards.
Criminal matters rarely arise at a calm moment. They usually begin with a police report, a summons to give a statement, or the acceptance of charges — and from then on, each person involved occupies a specific position: the one who reports the facts, the one under investigation, the one heard as a witness, the one who is a defendant in the proceedings. Domestic violence, threats, and offenses against honor receive specific treatment under Brazilian law, with their own rules on evidence, deadlines, and jurisdiction.
Listening to the account comes first; then, a review of what already exists: police reports, forensic reports, messages, and documents from the police investigation (inquérito policial). That review produces the applicable legal picture, the steps available at the police or court level, and follow-up on hearings and investigative measures. None of this is resolved by a ready-made formula: the facts reported and the documents available are what define the next step. Assistance is confidential and individualized, and takes into account the interests of the person seeking it — someone reporting a crime and someone under investigation do not have the same needs.
Areas of work
Situations handled in criminal matters.
The areas below differ by the stage of the case and the position of the person seeking assistance: victim, person under investigation, witness, or party to proceedings already underway. What can be requested in each depends on the existing records and the stage the case has reached.
Emergency protective orders
Requesting, maintaining, or reviewing a protective order starts from the facts reported and the documents already available. The stage of the case and the urgency shown determine what can be requested.
Monitoring of police investigations
During the investigative stage, the work covers the contents of the case file, the access granted to the defense, and the relevance of requests and investigative measures, with follow-up on the steps taken by the police authority.
Defense in criminal proceedings
Once the prosecutor’s charges or the private criminal complaint are accepted, the case proceeds under its own procedure, with defined acts and deadlines. Representation covers the filings available at each stage and participation in scheduled hearings.
Defamation-related offenses and threats
False accusation of a crime (calúnia), defamation (difamação), insult (injúria), and threats depend on the context in which the events took place, the content of the communications exchanged, and how that content was recorded. Together, these elements indicate the available routes in each situation.
Guidance for victims and persons under investigation
In a private setting, the consultation clarifies each person’s role in the proceedings, the documents that can already be gathered, and the possible next steps at the police and court levels.
What happens after you send your message.
You tell us what happened
On WhatsApp, a short summary is enough: what happened and since when. There is no need to send documents at this first stage.
The team guides the review
The firm tells you which documents to gather and schedules the review meeting, in person in Belém/PA or by video call.
You learn the possible paths
With the documents in hand, the firm explains the available alternatives, their risks, and the steps involved in each one. The decision to move forward is yours.
What helps to have at hand
- The summons, citation, or warrant received
- The police report, if there is one
- Screenshots, audio recordings, and messages related to the facts
- Medical reports or records, when available
- The investigation or case number, if you know it
Missing something? Send the message anyway: the list is adjusted to your case.
Message us on WhatsApp
Who assists you
MSC Advocacia — Melo Souza Cunha Advocacia e Consultoria — was founded by attorney Tainá Cunha (OAB/PA nº 36.711) and is based in Belém/PA, Brazil. Nationwide practice, with in-person and video call appointments.
Ed. EvolutionUmarizal, Belém/PA
About the firmFrequently asked questions about Criminal Law.
The request can be made at the police station, to the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministério Público), or directly in court. The account, the existing records, and the relationship between the parties indicate which of these routes is appropriate. In situations of domestic and family violence against women, the measures provided for in the Maria da Penha Law (Brazil’s domestic violence law) apply; outside those situations, the precautionary measures permitted by criminal procedure law are examined.
The summons usually indicates the authority in charge and, when the document states it, the capacity in which the person is being called: witness, victim, or person under investigation. Reading the summons and identifying the subject of the investigation before giving the statement matters, because the rights and duties of the person giving the statement change according to that capacity. Being accompanied by a lawyer is possible, and the guidance is defined based on what is in the case file.
Yes. What is said during the consultation is protected by the professional confidentiality set out in Brazil’s Statute of the Legal Profession (Estatuto da Advocacia) and Code of Ethics, a duty that remains even if the case does not move forward. Assistance is individualized, and meetings are scheduled according to the parties’ availability.
Need defense or guidance in a criminal matter?
Assistance is confidential. Just indicate what stage the situation is at — police report, police investigation, or criminal proceedings — and what position you are in.