Overview

• Police say an anonymous tip prompted a welfare check in Sorocaba, São Paulo, where officers found the child locked in a dark room.
• Officials report the girl had never attended school, was unvaccinated, and could not speak, communicating only through sounds.
• Child protection counsellor Ligia Guerra described the child as apathetic with severely tangled hair, and police said she had not eaten that day.
• Authorities state the parents were detained on unlawful detention charges and remain in custody, with police chief Renata Zanin citing the mother's evasive answers and lack of remorse.
• Local outlets reported medical issues including urinary and blood infections and severe malnutrition, details that have limited independent confirmation, as the child was examined at a hospital and placed in a children's home.