Abuso infantil nas navegações portuguesas: análise do processo de sodomia de Diogo Nunes contra o grumete Francisco Correa no ano de 1717.

Abstract

This work focuses primarily on the analysis of the inquisitorial trial of Diogo Nunes, dated 1717, who was accused of the crime of sodomy against the cabin boy Francisco Correa. The analysis of this document enables an understanding of the dynamics of power, violence, and vulnerability that affected children and adolescents aboard Portuguese ships during the early modern period. The case reveals how hierarchical structures were used to exert control over younger individuals, exposing them to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in an environment marked by the harshness of life at sea. In the analysis developed, the project examines the concept of childhood between the 15th and 18th centuries, drawing on the studies of Philippe Ariès (1981) and Colin Heywood (2004). Considering that childhood was often viewed as a brief and undervalued stage of life, the study also seeks to understand how the early adultification of children contributed to their involvement in intense labor activities, especially within the maritime context. Additionally, the work aims to investigate maritime daily life from the perspective of Cultural History, using as its theoretical foundation the works of Fábio Pestana Ramos (2012), Paulo Miceli (1994), and Michel Mollat (1983), who explore the extreme conditions faced by sailors and cabin boys, as well as the power relations established on board. The methodology adopted is based on the documentary analysis proposed by Sá-Silva, Almeida, and Guindani (2009), with the trial of Diogo Nunes serving as the primary source for constructing a narrative that interweaves childhood, labor, and violence at sea.