Former Rio Councilwoman 'Mãe Loira' Arrested After Torture Conviction
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Veronica Costa, a former city councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro, has been arrested.
She is well known by her nickname, 'Mãe Loira do Funk', from the Brazilian funk music scene.
A court had already convicted her and gave her a 10-year prison sentence.
The conviction was for torturing her ex-husband.
Before the arrest, authorities considered her a fugitive, meaning she was avoiding capture.
Costa was a member of the PL political party, and previously worked as an elected official on Rio's city council.
Her case has drawn public attention because of both her political past and her fame in the funk music world.
Details about the specific circumstances of the torture case have not been fully released.
Brazilian authorities have not shared further comments about the next legal steps.
The public and media are following the case closely due to her public profile.
Vocabulary10 words
- city councilwoman
- a woman elected to help run a city
- convicted
- found guilty of a crime in court
- prison sentence
- the amount of time a person must stay in jail
- torturing
- causing someone great pain on purpose
- fugitive
- someone hiding from the police
- elected official
- a person chosen by voters for a government job
- authorities
- government or police officials in charge
- political party
- an organized group with shared political goals
- public profile
- how well-known a person is
- legal steps
- actions taken within the justice system
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Quiz
Answer key
1. A city councilwoman 2. Torture 3. PL
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Veronica Costa, a former _____ in Rio de Janeiro, has been arrested.
She is well known by her nickname, 'Mãe Loira do _____', from the Brazilian funk music scene.
A court had already _____ her and gave her a 10-year prison sentence.
The conviction was for _____ her ex-husband.
Before the arrest, authorities considered her a _____, meaning she was avoiding capture.
Costa was a member of the _____ political party.
Her case has drawn public attention because of both her political past and her fame in the _____ music world.
The public and media are following the case closely due to her public _____.
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