Mom admits castrating then killing child after they expressed desire to be a girl

A woman in Brazil has told police about killing her child, Rhuan Maycon da Silva Castro.

Several media outlets report Rosana Cândido, 27, and her female partner, Kacyla Pessoa, 28, confessing to police in Samambaia, 20 miles from Brasilia.

Cândido was biological mother to nine-year-old Rhuan. Police report a horrific tale of abuse and torture, leading up to the child’s death on 31 May.

Police arrested the two women 1 June but fuller details of the crime have only begun to emerge in the last few days.

Mom kidnapped Rhuan after losing custody case

Cândido absconded with the child around five years ago, after losing a custody case with Rhuan’s father.

After leaving Acre, the area in which Rhuan’s father lives, Cândido moved in with Pessoa and her nine-year-old daughter. It’s reported Pessoa had little affection towards Rhuan.

According to Cândido, Rhuan allegedly later expressed a desire to be a girl (for this reason we are using gender-neutral pronouns in reference to Rhuan).

The women allegedly removed Rhuan’s penis a year ago during home-made surgery with ‘rudimentary tools’. The child was also castrated. They told police Rhuan had ‘wanted to become a girl.’

Cândido has told police she found Rhuan a ‘burden’ and a hindrance to her relationship with her new partner.

She also says Rhuan reminded her of the child’s father, and says she felt ‘felt hatred and no love’ for the nine-year-old. The child, who was kept away from school, would likely have also experienced health problems following the home-made surgery attempt.

Cândido is accused of stabbing Rhuan 11 times, before beheading the child while still alive. Pessoa is alleged to have held the child down.

Attempts to conceal corpse

Cândido then allegedly got Pessoa to help her remove the skin from Rhuan’s face to hinder identification. Police also believe the women attempted to gouge out the child’s eyes. Again, to prevent identification.

After failing to burn the child’s remains on a barbecue, they stuffed body parts in a suitcase and placed it in a sewer. These were later found by children playing football in a nearby field, who saw the women placing the suitcase in a manhole.

Other body parts were located in two backpacks in the women’s home.

The women now face charges of homicide, torture and concealing a corpse.

Police chief Guilherme Melo told media his officers had been shocked by the crime.

‘She killed [Rhuan], quartered, decapitated, plucked the skin and tried to get rid of the body. It was a very terrible case.’

The woman face up to 57 years in prison each if found guilty.

See also

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Brazil’s top court makes homophobia and transphobia a crime