Police are investigating an alleged case of incest in which a man reportedly not only fathered his own grandchild, and then went on to get the child pregnant. The 50-year-old suspect, from Brazil’s Apurinã ethnic group, was detained on Wednesday (20 May) on suspicion of child rape.
The case took place in the Bacuri Indigenous community near Tapauá, deep in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.
According to authorities, the 12-year-old victim is both the man’s daughter and his granddaughter.
Her mother, now 33, is believed to have been repeatedly raped by her own father over many years, and the 12-year-old was born as a result of that abuse.
Police only became aware of the case when a local indigenous healthcare team insisted the girl — who was already six months pregnant — receive medical attention.
The suspect had been hiding her from both health workers and other family members, keeping her in isolation and denying her access to education.
Following the allegations, police launched an operation to arrest him. He initially fled but was later detained.
Lieutenant Colonel Castro Alves told local media: “There were several days of intensive searches and operations to track down the individual.
“After a night of surveillance, carried out with careful planning, security and intelligence, the suspect was eventually arrested.”
The 12-year-old gave birth in Beruri. Both mother and baby are said to be doing well and are now under the care of the girl’s mother — the suspect’s daughter.
Inspector Jailton Santos said: “This is a horrific case. For years, this man repeatedly raped his own daughter in that indigenous community. She is now 33-years-old.
“As a result of the abuse, she given birth to a girl. The child lived with her grandmother in the community until the grandmother died about two years ago.
“After her death, the man took the girl, isolated her from the rest of the family, and began living with her as his wife.”
The man is due to appear before a judge for a custody hearing.
He is under investigation for rape of a child or vulnerable person — in relation to both his daughter and granddaughter — as well as false imprisonment and criminal neglect of a child’s education.
