Man is sentenced to 60 years in prison for femicide of ex-wife in Salvador; victim was killed on the day he was going to make his divorce official

Paulo Sérgio Santos Cerqueira Melhor was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the feminicide of his ex-wife, Catarine Melhor de Souza Cerqueira, in Salvador.

The crime occurred on April 14, 2025, on the day of the couple's divorce hearing. The victim was stabbed in front of family members.

The man had broken the electronic ankle bracelet 2 days before the crime. He has been in pre-trial detention since April 28, 2025.

Paulo Sérgio Santos Cerqueira Melhor was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the femicide of his ex-wife, Catarine Melhor de Souza Cerqueira, aged 27, in Salvador. The decision was made by the Jury Court.

The crime took place on April 14, 2025, in the neighborhood of São João do Cabrito, in the suburbs of the capital of Bahia. According to the Public Ministry of Bahia (MP-BA), the murder occurred on the day a hearing was to be held in the couple's divorce process.

During the trial, prosecutor Fabiana Mueller maintained that the crime was committed for a base reason, using cruel means and using resources that made it difficult for the victim to defend himself.

According to investigations, Catarine was murdered in the presence of family members, including her two young children, her mother and an 11-year-old sister. One of the children, aged four, is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Paulo Sérgio has been in pre-trial detention since April 28, 2025 and will not be able to appeal his conviction while free.

During the trial, the prosecutor highlighted that the crime was committed against the victim due to her female gender, in a context of domestic and family violence, which characterizes feminicide.

Remember the case

Catarine Melhor de Souza Cerqueira, was stabbed to death on the morning of April 14, 2025, in the neighborhood of São João do Cabrito, in the suburbs of Salvador. The crime took place on the day she was going to formalize her divorce from her ex-partner, identified by her family as the perpetrator of the feminicide.

According to family members, Catarine had a protective measure against the man. She was taken to the State General Hospital (HGE), but did not survive. After the crime, the suspect fled with the victim's car.

After breaking in, Paulo Sérgio attacked Catarine, including biting her and stabbing her with a knife. He then left the scene with the victim's car.

He had already been arrested for failing to comply with the protective measure, but was released after a custody hearing and started wearing an electronic ankle bracelet. The equipment was broken two days before the murder. After issuing an arrest warrant, the police carried out searches and had the help of the suspect's father to take him to the police station. The man was arrested on April 16, 2025.