The Superior Court of Justice of Brazil suspended one of its members, Judge Marco Buzzi, this Tuesday provisionally, due to the sexual harassment allegations against him. The third-instance court met in an extraordinary session to handle the case and unanimously decided the temporary suspension of the magistrate while the accusations are investigated, which he denies. During this period, Buzzi will not be able to use his office, the official vehicle, or the other prerogatives of his position, according to a statement from the institution. On March 10, the court will meet again to discuss the findings of the internal investigation into the facts, which was opened last week, and make a final decision on the magistrate's future. Buzzi, 68, is suspected of harassing an 18-year-old girl in January, during her summer vacation in Balneario Camboriú, a popular beach city in southern Brazil, Brazilian media report. The young woman, daughter of a couple of friends of the magistrate who were spending a few days at his house, went to bathe in the sea when he tried to touch her several times. The National Council of Justice, the body responsible for overseeing the conduct of judges, received a second complaint of harassment from another possible victim on Monday and affirmed that it would open an investigation. Buzzi, who has been a member of the Superior Court of Justice since 2011, denied the accusations in a message to the rest of the institution's members and said he would prove his innocence.
