An abusive stepfather has admitted to beating his toddler stepson to de@th because the child had “soiled his nappy.”
Paulo Cesar da Silva Santos, 23, rushed two-year-old Henry Gabriel to an emergency room on Monday, Dec., where medical staff discovered severe bruising and immediately notified police and child protection authorities.
Tragically, the toddler later d!ed. According to police, the stepfather confessed to “hitting him with an open palm and a slipper” in response to the soiled nappy.
The shocking de@th happened in the city of Queimados, in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
Police arrested Santos and revealed worrying details that the 23-year-old had a history of aggression, according to witnesses.
Henry’s father, David dos Santos Barreto, said his son had suffered punches and blows, and described feeling “devastated”.
The medical report listed multiple bruises, skull swelling, chest bruising, a puncture wound on the wrist, a dislocated tooth with bleeding and a shoe-sole-shaped mark on the thigh.
Santos was arrested shortly after the assault and is facing charges of aggravated homicide.
Police reported that witnesses claim the 23-year-old had previously assaulted the child and had a history of drug use.
Family members stated that the toddler lived with his mother, Yasmin, and Santos during the week. Yasmin had reportedly asked Santos to take the boy to her mother’s home that morning, but instead, Santos brought Henry to a hospital two hours later in critical condition.
Police Chief Julio da Silva Filho said the child had grown fearful of his stepfather.
He explained: “The boy was terrified. The grandmother testified that he trembled and became restless whenever his stepfather was around. It was a difficult relationship, and we discovered that he habitually abused the child. Neighbors confirmed this, hearing both him and the child screaming during these incidents.”
The police chief added that the mother was unaware of Santos’s abuse.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing while forensic results are still pending.
