On 11 September 2015, a group of students from the Rudolf Steiner School of Waldorf Pedagogy in São Paulo, Brazil, went on a study trip to a rural farm.
Among the students was seventeen-year-old Victoria Mafra Natalini. She was looking forward to returning home to see her favourite band Queen perform.
Her wish did not come true – this trip was the last one of her life. Victoria was found dead a few days after arriving at the farm.
Victoria’s death has remained a mystery for a decade, but her father has continued to seek justice all this time and began to investigate the case himself.
A mysterious death while travelling
A group of 34 students are due to spend a few days at the Pereiras farm in Itatiba, São Paulo state. Accompanied by two teachers and three surveying technicians, they had planned to carry out practical lessons in maths and topography, in particular detailed mapping of a farm plot.
The school did not allow the students to take mobile phones to the farm.
They were not allowed to communicate with their parents. We trusted that the school would do its duty,” João Carlos Nataline, Victoria’s father, told BBC News Brasil.
On the fifth day of the trip, the students were split into groups to map different parts of the farm.
At around 2.30pm local time, Victoria told her group going to the toilet and walked down a dirt path towards the farmhouse, about 500 metres away.
According to the police investigation, that was the last time her classmates saw her.
Author photo, Natalini personal collection
When she did not return two hours later, her friends informed her teachers and a search for the teenager began.
According to Natalini, it was not until closer to evening that the authorities were informed – that’s what he was told afterwards.
His own daughter’s disappearance was not reported until that evening, and he was able to get to the scene at around 23:00 local time.
This happened at the same time as the search was called off – Victoria’s abduction was among the possible theories at the time.
The search resumed the next morning and a police helicopter soon found Victoria’s body in the vicinity of the farm.
It was a huge shock when I was told that they had found her body. I stood there and had to gather my strength to stay on my feet. Everything was extremely difficult. I had to inform my relatives and still recognise my daughter’s body,” Natalia says, describing that day.
Natural death or a crime
Author photo, Natalini personal collection
Since there were no visible injuries on her body or clear signs that Victoria was the victim of a crime, the main version was considered a death from nature.
Shortly after her death, the report of the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IML) indicated an undetermined cause with signs of natural death.
According to the forensic findings, Victoria had not used drugs or consumed alcohol.
At the time, there were even reports in the press that Victoria allegedly had a history of seizures – the family denied this.
Natale also said his daughter was healthy, eating well and exercising, so he questioned the report’s findings.
After a few days or weeks, we began to wonder how amazing all of this was. Her body was found in front of the central farmhouse where she was heading when she disappeared, and that raised a question. We repeatedly asked the local police to investigate but they refused, claiming – claiming.
Author photo, Itatiba Newspaper
Nataline was particularly alarmed by the manner in which the body was found: face down and with arms crossed. In his opinion, this indicated that someone had moved the body.
He decided to investigate the case himself and hired private forensic experts who concluded that, despite the lack of visible injuries, Victoria had been killed and her body moved to the place where it had been found.
The experts I hired went through all the materials related to my daughter, analysed them and reproduced the full dynamics of events, indicating that it was not a natural death,” Natale said.
He handed over the private report to the police. As a result, the case was reviewed and referred to the Department of Homicide and Protection of Persons (DHPP) of the State of São Paulo.
In early 2016, the DHPP invited a new report from the Forensic Medical Centre of the São Paulo State Department of Public Security, confirming that Victoria died of mechanical asphyxia in the form of direct strangulation, which indicated a possible homicide. According to experts, this type of direct strangulation is usually carried out by hand, indicating that someone could have attacked Victoria.
Author photo, Natalini personal collection
Natalini believes his daughter was killed in an ambush as she headed to the central farmhouse.
She apparently tried to defend herself and the man who attacked her, terrified he would start screaming and report it, decided to silence her.
In a statement in response to the report, Pereiras Farm, where the visit took place, said it co-operated with the investigation and facilitated the work of investigators and forensic experts who interviewed all staff who wished to give evidence as many times as necessary and had the freedom to familiarise themselves.
Police work was always carried out with maximum freedom and we always strictly followed the instructions of the investigators,” the statement added.
In a statement to BBC News Brasil, the São Paulo State Civil Police denied any shortcomings in its investigation and said it had taken all appropriate measures.
The course of the case
In early February, the Fourth Bench of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) ordered the Rudolf Steiner School of Waldorf Pedagogy in the state capital of São Paulo to pay Victoria’s father approximately US$188.
In Shore, the criminal court found that the teachers and school administration were not criminally responsible for the negligence that led to Victoria’s disappearance and death.
Victoria’s father plans to appeal the decision, citing procedural deficiencies in the investigation of the case.
Meanwhile, the murder investigation has been reopened after the case was initially closed after concluding that Victoria’s death was due to natural causes. That investigation is in its final stages, officials said.
Author photo, Itatiba Newspaper
The São Paulo state education department said it investigated the school at the time but found no wrongdoing.
The school said in a statement that it applied all the necessary security measures during the study trip and that the competent authorities were informed after Victoria’s absence was discovered.
It also clarified that during all teaching activities – both in and out of school – the institution provides teams of qualified professionals to accompany the students, the school’s statement added.
The statement also expressed condolences on Victoria’s death and noted that the school has remained committed to co-operating with the authorities and justice from day one of the investigation and deeply regrets that the circumstances of the student’s death have not yet been clarified.
The father is still searching for answers
Author photo, Personal collection
Natale continues initiatives to seek answers about his daughter’s death – even though the case has been reopened. Three years ago, he set up an online petition demanding that the case be solved. It has already garnered nearly 58,000 signatures and he plans to continue to campaign and raise awareness until the exact circumstances of his daughter’s death are known.
He also maintains social media pages where he shares updates on his daughter’s case. On instagram, for example, he has a profile Victoria Natalini vive (Victoria Natalini lives), where he posts updates on the case.
Natalini also continues his personal investigation, trying to uncover new information to pass on to the police. He recently announced a reward for any information.
Despite his constant pursuit of justice, he has had to endure years of severe emotional strain. But, he said, he would do it again if necessary. She is my daughter and I have no regrets,” he says.