Acre police investigate death of 3-year-old suspected of torture

The Civil Police of Acre are investigating the death of 3-year-old Davi Lucas Santos Maia in a rural area near the border of Porto Acre and Boca do Acre. Authorities have detained the child's stepfather, Tacio Gomes dos Santos, 23, as the primary suspect. The child's mother, Ana Clara dos Santos, 18, was also taken to the police station on suspicion of negligence.

Preliminary investigations suggest the child may have been subjected to severe physical aggression and possible torture. According to Delegate Carlos Bayma, the victim's body exhibited multiple visible injuries and bruises on the buttocks, back, and legs that were inconsistent with the stepfather's claim that the child had fallen from a ladder.

Witnesses reported hearing screams from the child near a riverbank before the stepfather claimed the accident occurred. The child died during a boat transport attempt to reach medical assistance. The body has been sent to the Medical Legal Institute (IML) in Rio Branco for necropsy to confirm the exact cause of death and the nature of the injuries.