Girl, 7, to be samba queen in Rio carnival

A FAMILY court judge has ruled that a 7-year-old girl should be allowed to samba before a crowd of thousands as a carnival drum corps queen, a coveted role normally reserved for sultry models.

Little Julia Lira is scheduled to perform for the packed Sambadrome stadium — and for millions more around the country via live television — early on Monday morning when the Viradouro samba group parades.

Her father, Marco Lira, told reporters he knew “justice would prevail”.