Sayra Barros was just 8 years old when she died in Georgia in January 2024. Her stepmother, Natiela Barros, allegedly beat the child to death with a rolling pin. The abuse was horrific, and prosecutors say her father, Cledir Barros, did nothing protect his daughter. He testified in court on August 8, claiming he was innocent.
Cledir Barros was charged with second-degree murder in Sayra Barros' death. The father insisted he did nothing wrong and that he and his wife never abused their children. According to WSB-TV, Cledir Barros said his wife was a wonderful woman, and that he forgives her.
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Cledir Barros reportedly wanted his wife to change her behavior.
Natiela Barros allegedly beat Sayra Barros to death, but it wasn't the first time she'd hit one of her children. Per WSB-TV, Cledir Barros spoke with police after his daughter's death, and an interrogation video was played in court.
He told police, "She was overboard, so I told her, 'Don't hit the kids,' because we need to work on that part."
WSB-TV reported the father called his wife a "wonderful woman" shortly after her arrest.
The couple apparently waited a long time to call 911.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the stepmother initially spanked the child for playing with her food and not doing her schoolwork. After Sayra Barros refused to work, Natiela Barros allegedly attacked her with the rolling pin.
After the brutal beating, police say Natiela Barros called her husband around 12:30 p.m. to tell him what had happened. He reportedly told her they would pray together, and the pair waited 90 minutes to call 911, WSB-TV reported.
Fox 5 reported that during the hearing Cledir Barros said, "We have no reason to hide anything from the police. I've never been in trouble with the police. I said I'm going to go before you guys and state that I'm innocent."
Prosecutors played the 911 call in court.
The 911 call was chilling. "What's the emergency?" the dispatcher asked. "My daughter just passed out, she's not reacting," Cledir Barros said. "Is she breathing?" The dispatcher asked the father. "No," he replied.
The father admitted in court his wife's actions were abuse.
Cledir Barros said his wife was not in her normal state of mind. "It got to the point where the stress got too much, and she got to that point," he said. "What she did was abuse, what she ended up doing was abuse."
Cledir Barros was charged with second-degree cruelty to a child and murder in the second degree. He could spend 10 to 30 years in prison if convicted, according to Georgia law.
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Natiela Barros faces trial at a later date.
The stepmother was charged with cruelty to a child in the first degree, aggravated assault, felony murder, and malicious murder. She is currently in the Gwinnett County Jail without bond. She could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.
Per Fox 5, against the advice of her attorneys, Natiela Barros will testify in her husband's defense during his trial.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
