Brazilian admits he wanted to kill 2-year-old by pushing 30 needles into him, to get back at his wife, with whom he had constant fights
Brazilian admits he wanted to kill 2-year-old by pushing 30 needles into him, to get back at his wife, with whom he had constant fights
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Brazil's Globo television, which carried the interview, also reported yesterday that police were investigating a second case of a child alleged to have needles in his body, in the state of Maranhao.
"My wife and I fought all the time. We would spend two to three weeks at a time without speaking to each other so I came upon the idea of killing the child," said Roberto Carlos Magalhaes, a 30-year-old bricklayer.
"The needles were meant to travel through his body. They were meant to kill him," he said, from his prison cell.
The child was admitted to a hospital in Salvador de Bahia a week ago. He underwent surgery last week to remove some of the needles, which came perilously close to his heart and lungs.
Magalhaes, who was arrested last week, described how he had intoxicated the child before inserting sometimes 10 pins at a time into the two-year-old's tiny body.
"It was a crazy idea. I mixed wine with water and had him drink it. He drank it and passed out, then I inserted the needles," he said.
The 31 needles, some measuring up to five cm, were inserted throughout the child's body, including his neck, torso and legs.
The toddler, who has not been identified because of his young age, was recovering from surgery after doctors on Friday successfully removed four needles from near his heart and lungs.
More Surgery
Doctors will decide by mid-week whether more surgery is needed to remove needles from the child's abdomen, intestines and bladder.
Magalhaes said he enlisted the help of his mistress and an Afro-Brazilian priestess in concocting the drink that caused the child to pass out, and told police last week that inserting needles was part of a "black magic" ritual.
The two women he implicated denied the accusation, but have been placed under temporary arrest.
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