Suspect Allegedly Took Advantage of Family Outings to Abuse Child, Says Police
Companion of the child's aunt had already been arrested in 2010 on charges of association with drug trafficking and illegal possession of a weapon
Suspected of raping and impregnating a ten-year-old girl in Espírito Santo, the man arrested on Tuesday (18) worked as a street vendor on a beach in the city of São Mateus (ES) with her family. He apologized being alone with the child and committing the abuses, according to the Secretary of State for Public Security, Colonel Alexandre Ramalho, based on reports from the child's relatives. Folha also confirmed the information with another source linked to the case.
“The [child's] mother is deceased, with a history of being homeless. Her father is in prison. She is raised by her grandmother and grandfather, who are humble, mobile, and work selling coconut,” affirmed the secretary. "Having committed this crime, it is a monster that does not deserve to live within society."
After being arrested in Betim, in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, the 33-year-old suspect told police he had been in a relationship with the child since last year. The girl testified that he had abused her for about four years. The superintendent of the Northern Regional Police, delegate Ícaro Ruginski, says that there is no legal consent for any relationship considering the child's age.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon