Ryan Gracie in his last fight, at Pride FC in 2004 / Photo by Susumu Nagao/GRACIEMAG archives
Five years later, the psychiatrist Sabino Ferreira de Farias was condemned for his involvement in the death of Ryan Gracie, a Jiu-Jitsu and MMA hero from the days of now-defunct Japanese promotion Pride FC. On December 15, 2007, Ryan was found dead in a cell at the 91st District Police Department, in São Paulo City’s West Side.
Sabino, who at the time admitted to prescribing the fighter a cocktail containing six different drugs, was given a sentence of one year and four months of community service, as well as a fine of 250 Brazilian minimum monthly salaries (2007 value) to be paid to the victim’s (Ryan Gracie’s) dependents.
According to the law, Sabino can still appeal in freedom.
Flavia Gracie, the fighter’s brother, commented on the case in an open letter to the press:
“Fortunately, after more than five years and a daily struggle to prove the culpability of this irresponsible hack who calls himself a doctor, we have reached the end of a major battle. (…) ‘Doctor’ Sabino was condemned for manslaughter, negligence, imprudence and malpractice. He will perform community service. I realize it is a very light sentence given how he has taken a life. But we feel victorious for having proved him an irresponsible person. We thus hope to prevent him from committing further crimes or devastating the lives of other families.”
Flavio said that now the fight is to keep him from practicing his profession as a psychiatrist.
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