Bruna Fonseca 'had dreams... a whole life ahead of her,' say family as ex-boyfriend gets life for murder
The Brazilian family of the 28-year-old woman whose former boyfriend was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder today were not driven by hate but by love and the search for justice for the irreparable harm caused by the murder of Bruna Fonseca and the deep loss for those left behind.
Izabel Fonseca, Bruna’s sister, spoke for the family on Friday as 32-year-old Miller Pacheco was given the mandatory life sentence by Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford, 10 days after the trial began at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.
While Miller Pacheco contested the case, his senior counsel Ray Boland said today on the 32-year-old’s behalf: “He accepts the jury’s verdict that he murdered Bruna. He will not appeal. He wants to apologise for the devastation he caused.”
The jury took only one hour and two minutes to reach their unanimous verdict that he was guilty of murdering his former girlfriend, 28-year-old Bruna Fonseca, at his apartment at Liberty Street in Cork on January 1, 2023.
Sympathising with the Fonseca family and praising the bravery of the victim impact statements from Izabel and Bruna’s cousin Marcella Fonseca, Ms Justice Lankford said it was clear that the deceased was a thoroughly decent, loving and complete human being who had been in a relationship with Mr Pacheco characterised by neediness and a refusal to let her get on with her life.
The judge made particular reference to a recorded phone call where Bruna told Mr Pacheco: “There is no winner here. It is not fighting for a trophy. I am not a trophy. To say someone won or lost it. It is my life — no one is entitled to it other than me.”
But the judge said the young woman was regarded as a trophy by Mr Pacheco. “She could not be won or lost. She had her own dreams and hopes. She could not be treated as a trophy,” the judge said.
Speaking outside afterwards, family and loved ones said they would never forget Bruna and they were happy and relieved to get justice, even though nothing would bring her back. Bruna was described as their rainbow, breaking through the dark clouds.
Izabel Fonseca, Bruna’s sister, said: “We are not here today by choice, but because our sister can no longer be. It's been three years. Three years overcome with emotion in the face of what happened.
"Three years ago, my family's life was abruptly paralysed by an act of violence that can never be undone. Since then, time has not healed us, it has only taught us to live with the absence, with the silence and with the constant pain, which manifests itself in different ways in our daily lives.
“Bruna is not a number. She had dreams, plans, laughter and a whole life ahead of her. She came to this country moved by the hope of building a better future and, above all else, by the wish to grant our mother's subsistence, taking on with love and responsibility a role she always carried out with dignity.
"Among all the things that were taken from her was the chance to meet her youngest niece, to see her grow and to live the affection that was always part of who Bruna was.
"She believed in, embraced, insisted upon and emotionally supported someone who refused to face their own responsibilities. This wasn't weakness — it was kindness of the heart.
“Bruna was mature where there wasn't any maturity. She was present where there was omission. She was support where there was instability. She did what she could with the love and empathy that she always carried with her.
“What was taken from her was also taken from us: celebrations, conversations, hugs, the joy of sharing life experiences and the emotional security that her presence brought us.
"What happened that day did not remain in the past. It is lived by our family every single day in the empty spaces and in the silent absence.
“On the 1st of January 2023 at 4.45am in the morning, we received the most difficult phone call of our lives. While we were celebrating the beginning of a new year, we were left floored, speechless and joyless. When we answered the phone, expecting wishes of a happy new year, we were told that our baby sister was gone.
“Then came the hardest tasks telling our mother that her daughter would never return home. No mother should have to experience this. Since then, we have lived with anxiety, sleepless nights, deep sadness and the constant need to learn how to live without her.
“Then, waiting for her remains, the wake and the burial. On the early hours of January 16, Bruna arrived. She looked serene. When our mother tried to touch her, she felt a coldness that should never be a part of that farewell. That scene marked our family permanently.
“We fixed her hair and did her make-up with all our love, so that she would be remembered as she always was. Even so, we were deeply marked by guilt, helplessness, contained anger and a sadness that affects our emotional health, our relationships, our routine.
"There's no comparison when the absence is permanent. Pain is not disputable. You can't measure suffering. No grieving family should be subjected to judgement or attempts to minimise what happened.
“The investigation made it clear that Bruna was not to blame. She is not here to defend herself, but we will always be. Her name will be remembered with dignity, truth and love.
"Nothing will bring Bruna back. But it is fair to recognise the seriousness of what was done and clearly state that her life mattered.
“We also want to express our deep thanks to An Garda Siochana for their engagement, professionalism and humanity shown throughout the process. The serious and responsible work was essential for justice to be made and, above all, so that we, the family, could feel welcomed in the middle of all the pain, in a moment when everything seemed to be crumbling down.
“We speak, not driven by hate, but by memory, love and the search for justice. May this decision be the recognition of the irreparable harm caused to Bruna's life and to those that were left behind.
“Justice for Bruna.” Marcela Fonseca, Bruna’s cousin said: “We do not know how strong we are until being strong becomes our only option.
“A man decides to take someone's life. And the question that remains is: how little is our life worth? A life that was taken because a woman was not allowed to move on, to choose, to love, to live her own life. My life was never the same again. I carry the trauma with me.
“And I also carry the indignation of knowing that, as a society, we can and must always do more. Today, this is not a number to me. I do not see statistics. I see a familiar face. A face. A name. A story. And it was at that moment that I understood what it means to come face-to-face with death.
“A death that still causes me trauma to this day.
"To her, I made only one promise: 'You will have your daughter back, even if it is the last thing I do in my life'. And that is what I did. I sent her body back to Brazil.
“I came to Ireland with one single feeling: to see justice being done. And now, more than that, with the desire to be welcomed again. I never imagined that I would want to stay. But today I realise that I do, I want to stay. I want to rebuild my life here. I want to have a home to call my own.
"I thank the Irish justice system and each juror for their work and responsibility. Thank you very much. I have no words to express my gratitude.”
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