For more than a year, a Georgia man knew his wife was mistreating his 8-year-old daughter Sayra Barros. Knowing this, 38-year-old Cledir Barros left the girl alone with his wife and Sayra’s stepmother, according to prosecutors.
“When Sayra did not do her homework, Natiela Barros allegedly became enraged and beat her to death with a rolling pin in late January. Both parents faced charges in connection with the child’s death, with the cases being tried separately and Cledir Barros’ case going first. After two previous trials ended in a mistrial because a jury could not come to a unanimous verdict, jurors in the third trial convicted Cledir Barros of second-degree cruelty to children,” the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said.
He was convicted by a judge to eight years in prison and two years of probation.
“We extend our condolences to the three young girls who tragically lost their sister,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. “This beautiful girl needed her father to protect her. He failed to do that.”
Evidence given by prosecutors at trial indicated that Cledir Barros had known since August 2022 that his wife was mistreating Sayra. Teachers at her Dacula-based Harbins Elementary school reported Sayra would arrive for class clearly injured. The teachers reported the injuries to the authorities. But Barros hauled her out of the institution when they asked about what was happening. Then he made plans for Natiela Barros to home-school prosecutors claimed.
Claiming he had no knowledge of the abuse, Cledir Barros testified for almost two-and-a-half hours at the last trial.
“I’ve never seen any of my kids get injured from spanking ever,” he said, according to Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA.
Must Read: Tennessee Couple Arrested after They Burned their Child Multiple Times: CCSO
He also claimed to have taken her out of school for problems she was experiencing there, but not at home. His defense lawyers said he was out on the road driving a truck, hence not at home for much of the week preceding the murder.
Cledir Barros claimed he forgave his wife right away, even if the death of their daughter was brutal.
“At the moment of this incident, I forgave her simply because the spirit of God led me to forgive her, not consented to what she did, which was terrible,” Barros said.
Charges Natiela Barros with murder, aggravated assault, and child abuse. Her case is still under process.
According to a press release issued by the Gwinnett County Police Department, officials answered a medical call to a house in the 300 block of Vine Springs on Jan. 30 at 2:15 p.m., as Law&Crime earlier reported.
When Sayra passed out, Natiela Barros reportedly had been alone with her. Authorities said Barros contacted her husband who arrived at the house and began CPR before phoning 911. Par paramedics declared the girl dead on scene when police showed up. Called to investigate “given the circumstances” of the death were homicide detectives. They spoke with the adults living there.
In the days following the episode, cops arrested both parents. Referring to an arrest affidavit, WAGA said Natiela Barros hit the youngster “with a wooden rolling pen 10 to 20 times, refusing to get her medical care afterward.” According to the affidavit, she struck the girl in the neck among other places.