Brazilian Judge Turns Life and Career into Manifesto Book Launched During Maio Laranja: Behind the Robe Amplifies Silenced Voices in Defense of Childhood

During the international month for combating sexual violence against children and adolescents, Judge Kamylla Acioli launches a powerful book that unites her personal and professional journey with a national movement.

 In the heart of the Amazon rainforest, a Brazilian judge has transformed her personal and professional journey into a powerful global symbol of resistance and awareness. Judge Kamylla Acioli Lins e Silva, originally from Alagoas and living in Rio Branco since 2013—when she took office as a state judge—has just released a deeply moving book titled Behind the Robe: Silenced Voices – In Defense of Childhood during Maio Laranja, the international month dedicated to fighting child and adolescent sexual abuse and exploitation.

The book was officially launched on May 14 at the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) headquarters in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, where it gathered judges, activists, and representatives of social movements. The event underscored the urgency of the issue and highlighted the need for deeper reflection on the role of the judiciary in protecting children and breaking historical cycles of violence.

A wife and mother of three—Maria Clara (18), David (9), and Maria Luiza (4), who has Down syndrome (T21)—Kamylla has always maintained a close relationship with the arts. In her youth, she studied acting, participated in plays, performances, and cultural events, and carried that passion into law school, where she reenacted famous trials such as that of Joan of Arc. Her reading habits have always been eclectic, spanning law, spirituality, fiction, poetry, and documentaries.

Her journey took a profound turn with the birth of her youngest daughter during the COVID-19 pandemic. The atypical motherhood experience prompted her to delve deeply into the world of T21, pursuing specialization and training courses to ensure a better quality of life for her daughter. During this time, she also led a legal battle for remote work in the judiciary—culminating, after a year and a half, in a landmark decision by Brazil’s National Justice Council (CNJ), which recognized her request and set an important precedent for judges across the country.

Now, Judge Kamylla merges her artistic sensibility with legal rigor in this manifesto-book, calling for an effective societal movement to protect the rights of children and adolescents.

Published by Elas Litterae Publishing, Behind the Robe: Silenced Voices – In Defense of Childhood emerges as a symbol of empathy, resistance, and justice, amplifying marginalized voices and pointing to new pathways for childhood protection—both in Brazil and globally.

📚 Follow Maria Luiza’s journey and the family’s fight for inclusion on Instagram: @maluespecial
📘 Publisher: Elas Litterae