MP requests removal of 5 guardianship counselors in Ribeirão Preto The Public Ministry of São Paulo (MPSP) asked the Court for the immediate removal of five guardianship counselors from Ribeirão Preto (SP) for alleged omission in the case of the death of Sophia Emanuelly dos Santos, aged 3, which occurred in February this year. The Prosecutor's Office also requests the definitive revocation of their mandates and the prohibition of them running for new elections for the position for the next eight years. Sophia died after being the victim of successive attacks. She was taken to an Emergency Care Unit (UPA), but did not survive. Exams showed multiple injuries to the body, severe malnutrition, fracture, brain edema and signs compatible with strangulation. Those accused of the crime are the child's maternal grandfather, José dos Santos, aged 42, and his partner, Karen Tamires Marques, aged 33. In a statement to the police, Karen stated that she didn't like the girl and said that she died because she "didn't want to eat." The two were charged by the Public Prosecutor's Office and are awaiting trial in prison. Be part of the g1 Ribeirão e Franca channel on WhatsApp José dos Santos and Karen Tamires Marques are suspected of involvement in the death of his 3-year-old granddaughter in Ribeirão Preto, SP Social networks In a statement, the Municipal Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (CMDCA) informed that the body and the Guardianship Council are created by the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA) to protect childhood, but have totally different functions and natures. However, in the case of notifications about irregularities, it is possible to open a Disciplinary Administrative Process by the CMDCA. Previous allegations According to prosecutor Moacir Tonani Júnior, Sophia's grandmother, who lives in Itapetininga (SP), had already noticed marks on her granddaughter's body and contacted the Guardianship Council before the child's death. "On April 7, 2025, the grandmother contacted the Itapetininga Guardianship Council, reporting that she did not like the girl's behavior, that she had seen bruises, she was very thin. After a new contact on April 10, 2025, she noticed that the girl had bruises all over her body, was even thinner and again took the facts to the Itapetininga Guardianship Council. The body decided to formalize the grandmother's complaint to the council of Ribeirão Preto”, says the prosecutor. Prosecutor Moacir Tonani Júnior works in Ribeirão Preto, SP Reproduction/EPTV According to the Public Ministry, a document obtained during investigations shows that the Guardianship Council recorded a visit to the residence where Sophia lived with her grandfather, in Ribeirão Preto. As no one was found at the scene and the telephone number was not answered, the case was closed. "I can't find anyone living at this address. The phone only has voicemail. Wait for a new report," says the record made by a counselor. For the Prosecutor's Office, the action was insufficient given the seriousness of the evidence reported. "We have a protective network in Ribeirão. We could have contacted the Municipal Department of Health, Social Assistance, Education. The facts were communicated to the police, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the judiciary, so that they could carry out an active search for this family, where they would be residing. Nothing appeared in the records, which leads us to conclude that only a home visit was made at the address indicated where the grandfather lived with the child and his partner", says Tonani Júnior. "I can't find anyone living at this address. The phone only gives voicemail. Awaiting new complaint", appears in the record made by a guardianship counselor from Ribeirão Preto, SP Reproduction/Security cameras Request for removal In the action, the Public Prosecutor's Office maintains that there was omission and negligence on the part of the professionals responsible for handling the case, which would have allowed the aggressions suffered by the girl to continue until her death. According to the Prosecutor's Office, the counselors failed to comply with legal duties, failed to adopt necessary measures to protect the child and demonstrated a lack of preparation to perform their role. “What we want is the immediate removal of these counselors as quickly as possible, because keeping them in office until the definitive end of the process could cause serious harm to children and teenagers in our city.” The five professionals are part of Guardianship Council 3, which operates on Rua Floriano Peixoto, in the central region of Ribeirão Preto. The team from EPTV, a TV Globo affiliate, went to the location to seek a position on the case, but received no response. The Prosecutor's Office highlights that receiving complaints and integrated action between the Guardianship Council, social assistance, health and other public bodies are essential to prevent situations of violence against children and adolescents. Guardianship Council 3 on Rua Floriano Peixoto, in Ribeirão Preto, SP Reproduction/EPTV See more news from the region on g1 Ribeirão e Franca