Suspect of abusing children in a children’s hotel is indicted in Minas Gerais

A 60-year-old man was indicted by the Civil Police of Minas Gerais (PCMG) for the practice of rape of a vulnerable person and recording of photographs involving a child in a pornographic situation.

According to the Specialized Women’s Assistance Unit (Deam), responsible for the case, the investigations began after the parents of two children, aged 5 and 7, enrolled in a small hotel in the city of Betim, Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, sought out the police and reported cases of child sexual abuse committed at the institution.

According to police officer Karla Moreira Lima Carvalho, the suspect is married to the owner of the children’s institution. According to the police officer, in one of the reports, the child, who refers to the man as grandpa, told her mother what the suspect did to her, demonstrating with a gesture of friction in the genital region.

“Scared, the mother has already contacted another family who also has children enrolled at the hotel. These parents spoke to the children, and one girl cried when questioned. She said that her grandfather gives her chocolate and takes her to a room – where the abuse allegedly occurred,” says the police officer.

Investigations began immediately as soon as the reports reached the police station. “We took every precaution possible to protect those involved, the victims and their families,” Karla said.

The police filed a lawsuit in court for temporary arrest warrants and search and seizure warrants at the location, which were served by civil police officers at the beginning of July.

“At the scene, we seized a pen drive and a cell phone. Based on special investigation techniques, we obtained images from the phone that contained photos of these girls who were abused, in a certain place in the hotel. While they were sleeping, this man took photos, but the angle caught our attention: they were photos that sought the genital region,” notes Karla.

The man was indicted in the police investigation for sexual crimes and for recording pornographic content of the victims.

“Regarding the owner, we concluded that she did, in fact, act negligently – she has a contractual responsibility to the parents of these children, so she must be held accountable for the result, even if it was due to omission. However, since she acted negligently, there is no reason to hold her criminally liable, since there is no crime of negligent rape of a vulnerable person in the Penal Code,” the police chief explained.

The Municipal Department of Education of Betim received a letter sent by the PCMG, asking about the regularity of the institution. According to the police, the response was that for the type of activity carried out, authorization is not necessary. In any case, the delegate informed that the case was reported, in addition to the City Hall of Betim, to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Guardianship Council for the adoption of possible appropriate measures.