Maria Perpétua (1790, Portugal – 1817, Ilha de São Sebastião), was an alleged

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

ian

witch Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...

.Jornal “Latitude 23 Graus”, na segunda quinzena de fevereiro de 2005, na coluna “Memórias” da página 7, por Maria Cláudia França Nogueira. She was the central figure in a famous

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

case in Brazil. Maria Perpétua was born in Portugal and emigrated to the Portuguese

colony of Brazil Colonial Brazil (), sometimes referred to as Portuguese America, comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a kingdom in union with Portugal. During the 300 years of Brazilian col ...

, where she settled at Ilha de São Sebastião. She came to be infamous for reputed

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

and Devil worship. From circa 1812, the parish received complaints about her claimed practice in witchcraft. Among the accusers were captain Domingos, one of the most notable

slave trader The history of slavery spans many cultures, nationalities, and religions from ancient times to the present day. Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The social, economic, and legal positions o ...

s in the region. In a famous case, Maria Perpétua was accused of having murdered a slave, Joana, by use of magic. Domingos, as well as several other parishioners, lay forward a complaint to the local priest alleging that she had manufactured magical objects in order to create the illness which killed Joana. When the governor of São Paulo allowed for the residence of Maria Perpétua to be searched, several magic objects allegedly made to practice magic were found, among them also a human ear. Maria Perpétua was stabbed to death by her own spouse and was thereby never brought to trial.

References

* Jornal “Latitude 23 Graus”, na segunda quinzena de fevereiro de 2005, na coluna “Memórias” da página 7, por Maria Cláudia França Nogueira. 1790 births 1817 deaths 19th-century Brazilian people 19th-century Brazilian women People accused of witchcraft Deaths by stabbing in Brazil Witch trials in Portugal {{Brazil-bio-stub