Homeless elderly man has hair dyed red for donations in SP
An elderly man, 83 years old, homeless, had his hair cut and dyed red by a businessman, and then received donations of clothes and coats, at a vehicle store, in Vila Macena, in São José do Rio Preto (SP).
The owner of the establishment, Renato, published what happened online.
The City of São José do Rio Preto expressed a note of repudiation of the incident and stated that "no person should be exposed to ridicule, humiliation or embarrassment due to their social condition".
The municipal administration also stated that it had sent a complaint to the Public Ministry.
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After the negative repercussion on social media, the businessman published a clarification. In the video, he apologizes and says that he has known "Seu Simões" for over 20 years.
"I'm a good person, I never had the intention of harming anyone", he says in the publication.
Renato explains that, on the day of the incident, he and his colleagues were having a barbecue when Simões arrived. The haircut and dyeing would have taken place in a friendly atmosphere, to help an acquaintance he hadn't seen for a while.
The businessman also claims that he has been helping him for years, and that after the cut, he gave him a bag of clothes and warm clothes. Renato says he has "a great affection for him."
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The Municipality of São José do Rio Preto published a statement condemning what happened. The municipal administration revealed that Simões has been monitored by the social assistance network for years.
In the note, they also stated that no person should be exposed to ridicule in this way due to their social condition, especially an elderly person in a vulnerable situation.
The agency also reported that it sent a complaint to the Public Prosecutor's Office to take appropriate action.
See full note in full:
The Municipal Department of Social Development expresses its deepest condemnation of the episode involving a homeless person, an 83-year-old man, who has been monitored for years by the municipality's social assistance network.
No person should be exposed to ridicule, humiliation or embarrassment due to their social condition. When this happens to an elderly person in a vulnerable situation, the severity is even greater.
Respect, dignity and humanity are not favors: they are everyone's rights.
We sympathize with the victim and reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights of homeless people, the elderly and all those in vulnerable conditions.
We cannot normalize attitudes that harm human dignity.
See also: Neca Setubal: Increase in the homeless population reflects a dramatic situation in Brazil
*Under AR supervision.
Source: CNN