Brazilian police removed a six-year-old girl from her parents’ care after finding the child living in severe neglect and reportedly locked inside a room her entire life, authorities and local media said Saturday.
Officers responded to an anonymous tip about the girl’s welfare and discovered a child who had never attended school, had not received vaccinations and who, according to child protection counsellors, did not speak. Police arrested the girl’s parents on suspicion of child abuse and neglect, and an investigation is underway, according to reports.
Child protection counsellor Ligia Guerra, quoted by Brazilian news outlets, said the girl was “very apathetic and dazzled by everything.” Guerra said the child’s hair was tangled and looked as if it had never been washed. Police said the girl had not eaten anything that day and had consumed only liquids. Authorities reported that she communicated with officers and counsellors through sounds rather than words.
The girl was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation and then placed in the care of social services. Doctors and child welfare workers are conducting further examinations to assess her physical and psychological needs, officials said. The identity of the child and her family have been withheld under Brazilian privacy protections for minors.
Local news reports said the case first came to light when a neighbour or other member of the public filed an anonymous tip with police about the child’s living conditions. After officers entered the family home in Sorocaba, in the state of São Paulo, they concluded the environment posed a risk to the child’s health and wellbeing and removed her from the residence.
Authorities have not released detailed information about the parents’ ages, occupations or the exact charges they face while the investigation continues. Under Brazilian law, children determined to be victims of neglect or abuse are normally placed with relatives or in temporary shelters while social workers and courts determine longer-term arrangements.
Officials said the case will be the subject of continued investigation by local police and child protection agencies. Child welfare workers will assess immediate needs such as vaccination, nutrition and psychological counselling, and prosecutors will review evidence to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against the parents.
The rescue adds to a string of high-profile child welfare cases in Brazil that have drawn public attention to questions about monitoring and intervention by social services in vulnerable households. Government and non-governmental child protection agencies have urged the public to report suspected neglect and abuse to authorities to prompt timely investigations.