The boy is wearing a khaki tailored suit, similar to Hitler’s costume during his reign in Nazi Germany. The boy’s hair is brushed forward and he also wears a fake mustache, two of the dictator’s notorious outward appearances. The boy wears a bracelet with a swastika on his left arm.
The photo sparked outrage on social media. “My God! How awful! And then at a school????”, someone responded on Twitter. Many internet users also complained about “the lack of control” at the school.
The school’s management, the Colégio Cotiguara in the city of Presidente Prudente, located in the state of Sao Paulo, has meanwhile apologized and speaks of “a serious mistake”. The school also apologized to the Jewish community, calling the persecution of the Jews a “human tragedy” and an atrocity that should never be forgotten.
The incident is now being further investigated by the Public Prosecution Service for Children and Young People. “A procedure has been started. We will question both the boy’s parents and school staff,” it said. Anyone who distributes images showing the swastika in Brazil risks a prison sentence of two to five years.
