Father of rape victim found out about his daughter's death upon returning from trip

The child's mother, who was at the scene of the crime, claimed that she was sleeping and thought that her daughter was choking. Therefore, he alerted the Military Police and firefighters but, as help did not arrive, he took the baby to the hospital by his own means. However, the girl did not survive her injuries and ended up dying.

Health professionals found that the minor had been a victim of sexual violence, as stated by the Secretariat of Public Security and Social Defense (SSPDS), which did not provide further details about the case.

Francisco Ray Rodrigues Magalhães, aged 22, and Roberto Levy Oliveira Magalhães, aged 26, were arrested on suspicion of having committed the crime. In fact, Roberto Levy Oliveira Magalhães was found with the body on top of the baby.

During interrogation, the girl's mother confessed to the authorities that she had a casual relationship with Francisco Ray Rodrigues Magalhães, whom she had met a few days before the crime. According to the newspaper Metrópoles, the woman said that she went to a party at the young man's apartment and, at one point, it seemed to her that the baby was choking, where she ended up asking for help. The police are also investigating the possibility of asphyxiation.

In addition to the two detainees, who showed signs of drunkenness, other people were taken to the police station to provide clarification. Now, the Civil Police awaits the conclusion of the investigations.

Francisco Ray Rodrigues Magalhães' defense assured that he "follows the investigations with absolute confidence in the work of the competent authorities" and that the suspect "voluntarily submitted to the collection of genetic material".

"He also clarifies that his client claims he was not even in the same room where the child slept, a circumstance that will be duly analyzed during the investigation. The defense emphasizes that any anticipated judgment, especially through virtual lynching before the conclusion of the investigations and the production of expert evidence, represents a serious risk to the search for the truth, in addition to violating constitutional guarantees, such as the presumption of innocence and due legal process", he added.

"They ended my life", says the girl's father

Erisvaldo Almeida, the baby's father, found out about his daughter's death through a phone call from his ex-partner, when he returned from a trip.

"I can't bear it. It ended my life, they ended my life, those bastards. I'm still in such shock that I don't leave the house, I don't eat, I can't... I can't understand how a human being has the courage to do this to a child, a 10-month-old baby", he stressed.

The man, who has been separated from his ex-partner for two months, with whom he shares another 3-year-old son, reported that, initially, the woman told him that the baby had suffocated with a sheet.

"I was in shock, in panic. I started calling the family, the people didn't tell me anything, they just said the same thing, either that she had suffocated, or that she had slept on top of the girl", he recalled.

Upon arriving in Fortaleza, Erisvaldo went to a police station to try to understand what had happened. At the scene, they told him that there were suspicions that the girl had been sexually assaulted.

"They said: 'Here's the thing, so far, your daughter was not asphyxiated, she did not die on her own. She was killed because her private parts had red marks on them, as if it were blood,'" he said.

The man also pointed out that, during the wake, he was "a little" alone with his daughter, but was unable to attend the funeral. "I don't even have the strength to leave the house, to do anything, I can't believe this… […] I'm totally outraged, indignant, I want justice in every way", he said.

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