Sonia Bonfim Vicente

Sonia Bonfim Vicente (born ) is a Brazilian human rights activist. A hair braider from the Chapadão favela in Rio de Janeiro, in 2021 her husband and son were shot dead by officers from the Military Police; since then, Vicente has campaigned for justice for victims of state violence and police brutality in Brazil.

Biography

Personal life Vicente was born into a poor black family. She lived in Chapadão, a favela in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, where she worked as a hair braider. She was married to William Vasconcellos da Silva, with whom she had a daughter, Rebecca; she also had a son, Samuel Bonfim Vicente, from a previous relationship.

In 2018, Vicente's daughter Rebecca was shot in the buttocks by a stray bullet during a shootout in Chapadão. She required surgery in order to remove the bullet. Vicente had decided not to pursue a criminal investigation due to Rebecca not receiving life-threatening injuries.

Investigation and response The local police department in Ricardo de Albuquerque carried out the investigation into the shooting. Military police officers involved in the shooting alleged that Vicente's husband and son had been drug traffickers, and that drugs and weapons had been found on their bodies; they described the shooting as "self-defence". Vicente disputed this, stating that they had been transporting Polinário to hospital and alleging that officers had planted the items on their bodies; she also stated that da Silva's identification documents, which he had been carrying with him at the time of his death, were missing.

An independent investigation by Projeto Mirante, Fluminense Federal University's research project into cases of state violence, identified flaws in the police's investigation, in addition to gathering witness testimonies that disputed claims that Vicente's husband and son had been carrying weapons at the time of their deaths. The Order of Attorneys of Brazil's Rio de Janeiro human rights commission represented Vicente.

In 2025, Vicente was among 100 women selected to assist with staff from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in designing a national policy of institutional support for the relatives of victims of state violence.

Recognition Vicente's story was featured in "Mães de luta" , a 2025 episode of the television news programme Caminhos da Reportagem. The episode was subsequently nominated for the Vladimir Herzog Award.

The British newspaper The Guardian named Vicente as one of the most inspiring people in the world in 2025.