A "devassa" da Mariquinhas: poderes, resistências e protagonismo feminino no assassinato de Maria da Conceição pelo desembargador Pontes Visgueiro (São Luís - MA, 1873)

Abstract

This study investigates female agency in the pursuit of justice regarding one of the most notorious crimes in Maranhão's capital in the 19th century. Known in historiography as the Crime of Judge Pontes Visgueiro, the murder of Maria da Conceição, also known as Mariquinhas, has become a subject of analysis for jurists and writers. This is mainly due to the unprecedented nature of the case, which, according to sources, represents the first occasion in the Brazilian empire where a judge was tried for the murder of a lower-status woman. From a political and social standpoint, the crime was commonly narrated with the aggressor as the sole protagonist: a white, wealthy, and prestigious man. Our proposal, however, is to reconstruct a history that revalues not only the victim's perspective—Mariquinhas, systematically defamed over time—but also highlights the perspective of the women who pioneered the investigation of her disappearance. These women, also victims of a patriarchal, hierarchical, and slaveowning society, have been historically ignored by traditional, sexist, and androcentric historiography, but now emerge as central protagonists of this thesis. Methodologically, we follow the contributions of microhistory, taking the evidence-based paradigm and dense description as starting points. Through microanalysis, we aim to reach a broader panorama of that era, contesting the passivity and subservience commonly attributed to women of the past. As a didactic product, we opted for the production of a graphic novel, characterized by a long and dense narrative, aimed at a more mature audience. The target audience, focused on basic education, is classified as 14 years and older. The central objective was to develop a realistic and empathetic script, emphasizing, through the graphic language of comics, the prominent role of the victim and the women who fought to solve and punish the criminal. We believe that the didactic product can serve as a tool for encouragement and empowerment for girls and women who still face various forms of gender violence today. Additionally, it contributes to an education aimed at combating machismo and patriarchy that sustain these violence’s.