# Child homicide cases in São Paulo

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/child-homicide-cases-in-so-paulo
> Updated: 2026-08-17T02:52:01.000Z. Sources: 19. Developments: 2.

Recent reports from São Paulo highlight separate legal developments regarding the deaths of children involving their fathers.

In August 2026, Breno de Souza Castro was arrested and placed in preventive detention after confessing to the suffocation and murder of his daughters, aged 3 and 5. The children's bodies were found in a car following Castro’s surrender to police. Investigators noted the motive may have been to punish the children's mother, a practice referred to as ‘vicariocide.’ Castro, who had been on parole for a previous robbery conviction, faces charges of double qualified homicide and domestic violence.

In a separate legal conclusion, Ricardo Krause Esteves Najjar was sentenced to 24 years, 10 months, and 20 days in prison for the 2015 murder of his 4-year-old daughter, Sophia Kissajikian Cancio Najjar. The conviction followed a protracted legal process involving three jury trials and successful appeals by the Public Ministry. While a 2018 conviction was annulled and a 2023 trial initially classified the death as involuntary manslaughter, the prosecution successfully argued that necropsy reports proved the child was asphyxiated with a plastic bag as an intentional act rather than a domestic accident. The court recognized aggravating factors, including the use of cruel means and the victim being under 14 years of age, and convicted Najjar of procedural fraud for attempting to mislead investigators.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-17: Ricardo Najjar sentenced to 24 years for killing daughter in São Paulo

Ricardo Krause Esteves Najjar was sentenced to nearly 25 years in prison for the 2015 murder of his 4-year-old daughter in São Paulo after a protracted legal battle.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/so-paulo-man-sentenced-to-24-years-for-killing-4-year-old-daughter

### 2026-08-11: São Paulo man arrested for killing daughters, 3 and 5

Breno de Souza Castro was arrested in São Paulo after confessing to the suffocation of his 3 and 5-year-old daughters, allegedly to punish their mother. Castro had previously been released on parole.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/so-paulo-man-confesses-to-murdering-his-two-young-daughters

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Cite as: Child homicide cases in São Paulo. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/child-homicide-cases-in-so-paulo