Mother and stepfather are arrested on suspicion of killing a boy in RS; crime occurred in 2008 and was discovered 14 years later | Rio Grande do Sul

One crime that occurred 16 years ago mobilized the Civil Police of Rio Grande, in the south of RS. One mother and the stepfather they were temporarily detainedthis Tuesday (2), by suspected in the death of her son, a four-year-old boyin 2008.

The case had not been reported to authorities until 2022, when investigations into an alleged disappearance began. The only document in the name of the boy, who would be 20 years old today, was his birth certificate.

“It was found that this boy ‘did not exist’, he could only be dead”, says delegate Alexandra Sosa.

The names of the suspects were not released by the Civil Police, so as not to hinder the investigations.

The woman, who is now 44 years old, was arrested in Arroio dos Ratos. The stepfather, aged 49, was arrested in Bagé. The validity period of temporary arrests is 30 days.

The case will now be investigated by the Rio Grande Homicide Police Station. The boy’s body has not yet been found.

According to delegate Alexandra Sosa, the crime occurred in 2008, but only reached the police in 2022, through a complaint.

“This incident occurred in 2008, but it only reached the Civil Police as a disappearance 14 years later. Before that there was no report, nothing. We obtained statements through a report”, says the delegate.

The identity of whoever told the authorities what happened is kept confidential – “the person who reported it is still scared”according to the delegate.

With the information, the Civil Police searched for traces of the boy’s identity. He was only registered on his birth certificate, without identity card, CPF, voter registration card or military enlistment.

“With the boy’s birth certificate, we began to investigate whether he had voted, whether he had enlisted in the Army, whether he had passed through the public health education system”, says the researcher.

According to Alexandra Sosa, the absence of records confirmed the information provided by the witness.

After the crime, the boy’s mother and stepfather moved to Charqueadas, in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre. They had two children and then separated. She went to live in Arroio dos Ratos, in the same region; he moved to Bagé, on the border with Uruguay.

The Civil Police interviewed the two suspects, who did not indicate the motivation for the crime.

“One accused the other of the death, but they admitted that the boy is dead,” says Alexandra Sosa.

The investigations will continue with the Homicide Department, which will decide whether or not to indict the suspects. The delegate responsible for this investigation will decide whether to request the preventive detention of the mother and stepfather.