Mum accused of torturing and dumping son, 7, in river
Police have shared haunting footage which they believe shows a mother accused of chaining up, torturing and then killing her seven-year-old son carrying the boy's dead body in a duffle bag with her lesbian lover on the way to dump him in a river.
Among the shocking evidence against the pair was a notebook in which the young boy was forced to write how bad he was, scrawling: "I'm an idiot. I don't deserve the mum I have. I'm a criminal. I'm bad. I'm cruel. I'm evil. I suck. I don't know how to value anyone. I'm a horrible son."
The footage, which emerged as the police investigation against the pair picked up pace, allegedly shows seven-year-old Miguel dos Santos' mother, Yasmin Vaz dos Santos Rodrigues, 26, alongside her girlfriend Bruna Nathieli Porto da Rosa.
The mother is alleged to be carrying Miguel's remains in a duffle bag through the streets of the city of Imbe, Brazil, towards the Tramandai River on July 27.
Police have been searching for Miguel's body since Rodrigues and Rosa told police he had been missing for two days on July 29.
Rodrigues was taken into custody where she reportedly confessed to drugging her son and dumping his body in a river. However local news site G1 later reported she had changed her tune and was now claiming to be innocent.
The outlet reported Police chief Antonio Ractz saying: "They claimed at the time he had disappeared over 48 hours beforehand, which raised suspicion on the part of the police."
Authorities reported that Rodrigues told them after beating her seven-year-old, she gave him anti-depressant medication.
"She claimed she had given him just half a pill. However, her partner said two packs of the medicine were missing," Ractz said.
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Rodrigues later told the police her son woke up screaming and moaning the next day.
However she did not seek medical help because he was bruised from the beating she had given him, and she did not want to be found out.
A short while later, Miguel's fingertips and lips had turned purple, his pulse had vanished, and his body had gone cold.
Rodrigues believed her son was still alive at this point, so she loaded his body into a bag, which she took to the nearby Tramandai River. She then threw his body into the river.
Police searched Yasmin's flat, where they found a notebook in which Miguel had been forced to write self-deprecating phrases over and over again as a punishment.
Two padlocks and the chain used to lock Miguel inside the wardrobe were also seized, as was girlfriend Bruna's mobile phone, on which an incriminating video of her threatening the youngster was found.
In the horrific video, the two women taunted Miguel who was chained up in a cupboard threatening to "take him apart" and "rub his piss in his face".
Despite allegedly confessing to the crime, Rodrigues has now changed her story and according to local media her lawyer is pleading her innocence.
Bruna has been sent for a psychological and psychiatric evaluation at the behest of her lawyer, Luiz Paulo Cardoso, who is claiming she is not of sound mind.
Miguel's body has still not been found but police have recovered what they believe are his socks and shoes from the river.
"I will indict both of them. They will be indicted for torture, doubly-qualified murder, and concealment of a corpse," Ractz said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Australscope
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