A Brazilian couple, Audato and Ieda Denardi, has been sentenced to 50 days in prison after homeschooling their two daughters, a case that has drawn attention to parental rights and homeschooling laws in Brazil, as reported by Trending Politics News.
The couple was convicted by a criminal court in São Paulo of "intellectual neglect" after educating their daughters, ages 15 and 11, at home without following a state-approved curriculum.
According to Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADF International), which is providing legal support, the court found fault with the family's educational program because it did not include subjects such as "gender and sex education" and "tolerance and diversity."
🇧🇷 For the first time, a Brazil court has sentenced two parents to PRISON for homeschooling their daughters.
Audato and Ieda Denardi were convicted of "intellectual neglect" after a judge concluded that the homeschool curriculum failed to teach diversity and culture. 👇Read… pic.twitter.com/qkZbdta29I — ADF International (@ADFIntl) July 7, 2026
ADF International also said the court criticized the family's approach to cultural education, citing the daughters' preference for religious and classical music instead of popular genres such as trap or sertanejo.
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Defense attorney Isabel Monteiro argued that the conviction was based on ideology rather than evidence, stating the judge made an "ideological decision to convict them."
She said the ruling relied in part on the older daughter's preference for sacred music over mainstream music.
The family began homeschooling in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic after concluding that their daughters' schools were not providing an adequate education.
After formally withdrawing the girls from school in 2022, state officials began visiting the family's home and encouraging them to reenroll the children.
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The parents told Fox News Digital they were shocked by the prison sentence and never expected to face jail for homeschooling. According to the family, both daughters are accomplished pianists and speak multiple languages.
Even state prosecutors recommended acquittal after an independent educational psychologist evaluated the girls and concluded they showed no signs of neglect and were thriving both academically and socially.
Monteiro said the family submitted more than 3,000 pages of evidence supporting its case, but the judge rejected the prosecution's recommendation.
According to ADF International, the judge wrote that the parents were "using their daughters as pawns in an ideological struggle, subjecting them to a form of unregulated education, the effectiveness and quality of which lack adequate metrics within the Brazilian legal system, while completely excluding the State's involvement."
A Brazilian court has sentenced Christian parents Audato and Ieda Denardi to 50 days in prison for homeschooling their daughters. Info: ADF pic.twitter.com/O5jW4lk4w8
— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) July 9, 2026
Audato Denardi said the sentence has placed significant emotional strain on the family.
"It has affected a lot… Now we have to sleep and wake up every day, thinking about that we can go to prison."
He also expressed concern about who would care for the children if both parents are incarcerated.
"That is our biggest problem in all this stuff, because we're going to have to stay 50 days without them, and who's going to stay with them?"
The case highlights the unsettled legal status of homeschooling in Brazil. In 2019, Brazil's Supreme Court ruled that homeschooling is not unconstitutional but said lawmakers must establish regulations.
Although the House of Representatives passed a regulatory framework in 2022, the measure stalled in the Senate, leaving no comprehensive legal framework in place.
The Denardis remain free while appealing what ADF International says is believed to be Brazil's first criminal prosecution over homeschooling.
Their appeal will be heard by the 7th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Justice of the State of São Paulo.
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Audato Denardi said he hopes the appeals court overturns the conviction, stating:
"We are waiting for real justice and the court to give us this acquittal that we think we deserve because the state can't change law based on ideology."
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One quick way to solve this, would be to give them some tests, and compare them to kids test that actually go to school. I would bet, they would have higher scores than the kids in school. These countries are getting ridiculous with the control they have over the people. But if they people don’t start standing up for themselves, it’s their own fault. Look at the UK. No one there can have weapons, and everyone saw what happened when the man tried to cut a guys head off in the street. It never would’ve happened if they had a gun.