The judge who heard her case threatened to take away custody of her son if she continued with her choice.
The lawyer for ADF International in Latin America, Julio Pohl, called the fine and threat “reprehensible” since “parents are the first authority for the education of their children, and this reaction by the local authorities is a total violation of their parental rights guaranteed by international law.”
Pohl is also working on the legal defense of the Brazilian mother, and the ADF has filed a legal brief in the appeal process with the Court of Justice of Santa Catarina state.
According to the legal advocacy organization, “more than 70,000 people receive education at home in Brazil.” Likewise, the right of parents “to choose the type of education” for their children is established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Article 26 Section 3.
In response to this legal ordeal, Cichelero stated: “I choose to home-school my son because I believe it’s best for him, and I am committed to providing him with the best education possible. In addition, home schooling allows me to transmit our faith and our values, which are so important to our family — values that are constantly questioned and undermined by the Brazilian public school system on a daily basis.”
“All parents have the right and obligation, given by God, to make decisions that provide the best results for our children,” she said. “I hope the day will come when I and other people in Brazil can exercise our rights as parents without fear of being fined and prosecuted.”