A Brazilian woman allegedly admitted that a xenophobic assault against her by Swiss skinheads was all a hoax.According to Swiss prosecutors, Paula Oliviera confessed not only to faking the attack against her but also lied about being pregnant and having miscarried her twins due to the assault. Police also said that the cuts on her abdomen bearing the initials of the right-wing Swiss People's Party corroborate claims made by local forensics experts that her wounds were self-inflicted.
Swiss officials have removed Olivera’s passport while they investigate her for misleading police. Prosecutors have not revealed any possible motives behind her allegations.
Olivera’s case led to outrage in her native Brazil and a renewed focus on racist attacks in Europe. (The 2007 assault of an Ecuadorian teen on the Barcelona metro comes to mind).
Despite the change in Olivera’s story, Brazil's Foreign Minister said that his government will keep providing her with “all necessary support”:
Amorim said he was not officially informed of the investigation, but the government will keep on supporting one of its citizens.Image- BBC News
"We must give attention and support to our fellow citizen," the minister said. "That is what we have been doing and what we will keep on doing, following international norms."
Online Sources- BBC News, Xinhua, AP, earthtimes.org, The Latin Americanist, Expatica Switzerland
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