Brazil judge Patricia Acioli shot dead in Niteroi

Patricia Acioli was buried on Friday in her home town of Niceroi

A Brazilian judge renowned for her work against organised crime has been shot dead in Rio de Janeiro State.

Patricia Acioli was gunned down outside her home in the city
of Niteroi late on Thursday by masked men travelling on two motorbikes,
officials said.




She was best known for convicting members of vigilante gangs and corrupt police officers.




The judge's family said she had received several death threats, but had not had a police escort.




Witnesses told AFP the gunmen intercepted the
mother-of-three's car as she was arriving at home in Niteroi, just
across Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro.




They had fired at least 16 shots, killing the 47-year-old
instantly, reports said. Her funeral service was held on Friday in
Niteroi.

Brazil's Supreme Court condemned the killing as an attack on democracy and the rule of law.




"Cowardly crimes against magistrates are an attack on the
independence of the judiciary, the state and Brazilian democracy,"
Supreme Court President Cezar Peluso said in a statement.




"The preservation of the rule of law in our country demands a
rapid investigation of the facts and a rigorous punishment of those
responsible for this barbarous act."




Rio has stepped up its campaign against violent crime ahead
of hosting football's World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016,
correspondents say.