• South American football

Referee beheaded after killing player

ESPN staff
July 6, 2013

An amateur football match in Brazil turned into a double murder scene as a referee was beheaded by spectators after he had stabbed a player.

The shocking incidents occurred in Maranhao, Brazil, last Sunday. According to reports, referee Otavio Jordao da Silva fatally stabbed footballer Josenir dos Santos Abreu.

Dos Santos Abreu is believed to have struck the referee after questioning a decision. In retaliation, Jordao da Silva fatally stabbed the player.

Having witnessed the incident, an outraged group of spectators turned on the referee. He was tied up, beaten, stoned and quartered. They then put his head on a stake and planted it in the middle of the pitch.

One man, Luiz Moraes de Souza, 27, has been arrested over the incident. Police are searching for two more suspects.

Valter Costa is handling the case and, in a statement, he said: "One crime never justifies another crime. Actions likes this do not collaborate with the legality of state law."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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