The available records do not permit a responsible conclusion.
Brazilian federal prosecutors charged that Vale and TUV SUD colluded to issue false stability declarations for the Brumadinho dam, and that 16 people committed qualified homicide.
- About
- Vale S.A.
- Claim made by
- InfoMoney, press report
- Published
- 26 January 2023
- Evidence score
- 62 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
Agencia Brasil reported that the 2nd Federal Criminal Court in Belo Horizonte accepted the complaint on 24 January 2023 and split the case into three proceedingsS5. The homicide case covers 16 individuals, 11 linked to Vale and 5 from TUV SUD, and the two environmental cases cover each companyS5. The complaint alleges collusion over false stability certificatesS5. This is a charge and no verdict exists. O Fator reported in October 2025 that a former Vale chief executive was excluded after a habeas corpus ruling by the Federal Regional Court of the 6th Region, leaving 15 defendants, and that prosecutors had appealed to the Superior Court of JusticeS6. ECCHR's figure of 16 matches the original countS7. Evidence hearings run from 23 February 2026 to 17 May 2027S6. The records do not permit a conclusion on guilt.
Current procedural position
Charges against Vale, TUV SUD and 16 individuals accepted on 24 January 2023S5. One individual excluded by a habeas corpus ruling, with a prosecution appeal pending as of 21 October 2025S6. Evidence hearings began on 23 February 2026 and are scheduled to end on 17 May 2027. No verdict as of October 2026S6S7.
Record supporting the assessment
Dezesseis pessoas respondem por diversos crimes ambientais e por homicídio doloso qualificado.
A acusação imputa aos réus a prática de 270 homicídios qualificados.
Conflicting or limiting record
Os interrogatórios dos réus estão marcados para março, abril e maio de 2027.
foi excluído após decisão do Tribunal Regional Federal da 6ª Região em habeas corpus
Evidence score: 62 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Vale S.A.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 16 | 30 | Press and NGO reports describe the charges. The court decisions were not read directly. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 15 | 20 | The reports state the charges and the split of the case directly. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 11 | 15 | Agencia Brasil, O Fator and ECCHR agree on the core facts. The defendant count differs by one exclusion that O Fator explains. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 4 | 15 | The trial is in the evidence phase with no verdict. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 9 | 10 | Checked against the February 2026 opening of hearings. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 7 | 10 | The reports are public. The court's own pages could not be fetched. |
| Total | 62 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- Federal Public Prosecutor's Office v. Vale S.A., TUV SUD and individual defendants2nd Federal Criminal Court of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Criminal. Not stated in the sources read.Stage: Evidence hearings under way since 23 February 2026, scheduled to end on 17 May 2027
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Unresolved.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S5Tier C Tragédia em Brumadinho: processo criminal será desmembrado em trêsInfoMoney (Agencia Brasil). Press report. 26 January 2023.Agencia Brasil report on acceptance of the charges, the 16 individual defendants and the split of the case. Credited to the agency, no named reporter. The page title continues after a semicolon, which is cut here.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S6Tier C Justiça define calendário, e audiências de testemunhas no processo criminal por Brumadinho vão até 2027O Fator. Press report. 21 October 2025.Report by Lucas Ragazzi on the hearing calendar. It counts 15 defendants and says a former Vale chief executive was excluded by a habeas corpus ruling under appeal.
- S7Tier D Criminal trial opens in Brazil against Vale and TÜV Süd employees: Corporate accountability under scrutinyEuropean Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR). Press report. 23 February 2026.Statement by an NGO that supports victims' families. Supports the trial opening date only, not the merits. Its count of 16 employees matches the original charge.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
Other claims about Vale S.A.
- Partly supported72Vale misled investors about dam safety by relying on fraudulent stability certificates and stating that all its dams were certified stable, as the SEC charged in April 2022.Regulator statement, 28 April 20225 records citedDisclosure
- Supported88Vale said in March 2023 that it would pay US$55.9 million to the SEC without admitting or denying the settled claims.Company statement, 28 March 20232 records citedDisclosure
- Supported73Vale said in February 2021 that it signed a global settlement for Brumadinho with the State of Minas Gerais and public authorities worth about BRL 37.7 billion.Company statement, 4 February 20212 records citedSafety