A mother and daughter influencer duo have been jailed for 12 years after giving bananas and stuffed monkeys to two black children in videos to boost their social media, leaving both traumatised and needing psychological care.
The ruling was handed down by Judge Simone de Faria Ferraz of the 1st Criminal Court of Sao Gonçalo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday, 18th August.
Footage shows the children being offered the choice between a small amount of money or a mystery gift.
One child unwraps a parcel to find a banana and begins peeling it as he walks away, saying he is not happy. The other child opens a large gift box and discovers a stuffed monkey inside.
The court found that the influencers, identified as Nancy Goncalves Cunha Ferreira and her daughter Kerollen Vitoria Cunha Ferreira, committed racial abuse by humiliating the children through symbols historically associated with racism.
In addition to the prison term, both were ordered to pay compensation of BRL 20,000 (GBP 2,700) to each of the victims.
The victims were nine and 10 years old at the time of the video, which was recorded in Sao Goncalo in 2023 and shared to the pair's social media accounts.
The mother and daughter had more than 12 million followers during the investigation and were known for their cruel videos where people were often exposed to ridicule.
The ruling stated that the pair "animalised" and "monetised" the pain of the children, who began to suffer bullying and social isolation after the videos were released.
Their peers at school reportedly began calling them "monkeys".
It eventually caused the boy to abandon his dream of becoming a football player, while the girl required psychological support.
The defendants claimed they had no intention of causing offence and argued the video was part of a TikTok trend.
Nancy Goncalves said she "did not know what racism was" and wanted "to make the children happy."
Her daughter stated she only realised the seriousness after the backlash online.
Their lawyer, Mario Jorge dos Santos Tavares, said he respects the decision but does not agree with it and intends to appeal to the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice.
Until the appeals process is concluded, the pair remain free but are banned from producing similar content and from contacting the victims.
When the ruling becomes final, arrest warrants and sentencing letters will be issued.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
NewsX-RacismCouple-01.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Influencer Nancy Goncalves gives banana to black child, in Brazil, undated. She and Kerollen Cunha gave bananas and monkey toy to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Picture is a screenshot from a video (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-02.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Influencer Nancy Goncalves gives monkey toy to black child, in Brazil, undated. She and Kerollen Cunha gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Picture is a screenshot from a video (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-03.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Influencer Nancy Goncalves gives monkey toy to black child, in Brazil, undated. She and Kerollen Cunha gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Picture is a screenshot from a video (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-04.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Child hugs a monkey toy given to her by Nancy Goncalves in Brazil, undated. She and Kerollen Cunha gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Picture is a screenshot from a video (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-05.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Nancy Goncalves (right) and Kerollen Cunha (left) pose in undated photo. They gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Private photo. (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-06.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Nancy Goncalves (right) and Kerollen Cunha (left) pose in undated photo. They gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Private photo. (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-07.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Nancy Goncalves (left) and Kerollen Cunha (right) pose in undated photo. They gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Private photo. (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-08.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Nancy Goncalves (left) and Kerollen Cunha (right) pose in undated photo. They gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Private photo. (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-09.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Nancy Goncalves (right) and Kerollen Cunha (left) pose in undated photo. They gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Private photo. (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-10.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Nancy Goncalves (top) and Kerollen Cunha (bottom) pose in undated photo. They gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Private photo. (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismCouple-11.jpg Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN
Description: Archive Picture | Nancy Goncalves (left) and Kerollen Cunha (right) pose in undated photo. They gave bananas and monkey toys to black children and are being investigated for racism, in Brazil. Note: Private photo. (@kerollenenancy_/CEN)
NewsX-RacismTokers-01.mp4 Video Copyright: @kerollenenancy_/CEN Video Caption: Archive Video | Influencers Kerollen Cunha and Nancy Goncalves give bananas and monkeys to black children, in Brazil. ***Video Licence Restrictions: NEWS MEDIA PORTALS ONLY. Usage on social media is possible but we offer no guarantees. This video is offered under our ‘social and local media source’ licence. For details see https://cenagency.co.uk/
