ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 17, 2023 / 16:20 pm
A Brazilian mother has been fined and threatened with losing custody of her son for educating him at home and instilling Christian values. The legal advocacy organization ADF International has taken up her cause and filed a legal appeal to defend the mother’s rights.
According to an Aug. 16 ADF news brief, the incident occurred in Santa Catarina state in Brazil, located south of São Paulo. Regiane Cichelero decided to educate her 12-year-old son at home due to the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of the public school in 2020.
When the schools reopened in March 2021, Cichelero continued to educate her young son at home, believing that he would receive a higher-quality education in accordance with the family’s religious convictions.
However, the local prosecutor’s office began legal proceedings against the mother for failing to enroll her minor child in the school system. Consequently, the mother has now been fined $300 — plus a penalty of $20 a day, not to exceed $1,200 — until she enrolls her son in school.