A little game of soccer turned deadly in rural Brazil after referee Otavio da Silva decided to expel Josenir Abreu during the middle of a game. Josenir Abreu pushed Otavio to the ground in anger, and Otavio immediately produced a knife, stabbing Abreu in the chest. Abreu did not resist the stabbing, suffering two penetrations, and later died en route to the hospital.
The fans, in a fit of rage, began to throw stones at Otavio and subsequently disarmed him. The fans started to beat Otavio with sticks, and thereafter began to dismember him with a sickle while still alive. Otavio's legs were methodically cut, and later his head was placed on a 'pike.'
A resident of Pio XII, the municipality where the incident took place, said the following: "The referee kicking Abreu off the field was no justification for Abreu to push the referee. However, being pushed does not justify stabbing someone in the chest twice, nor does stabbing someone twice justify such a heinous act. Are we returning to the middle ages?"
Concerns have been raised about soccer violence in Brazil, but one resident of Maranhão informed Abreu Report: "Soccer violence is common, it happens in the UK too. I don't think one little incident should spoil people's hopes for the World Cup."
The residents of where the incident took place claim that the town is safe, and that the incident was caused by individuals from another town.
