The cries of an 8-year-old girl allegedly went unheard in a Georgia home, where a father's "failure" left her in the hands of an abusive mother who would later bludgeon her to death with a rolling pin, according to prosecutors
On Monday, Cledir Barros, 38, was convicted by a Gwinnett County jury of second-degree cruelty to children in connection with the murder of Sayra Barros.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allowing his wife to continue a pattern of alleged abuse that resulted in the death of his daughter, as well as prohibited from having contact with his two remaining children.
"We extend our condolences to the three young girls who tragically lost their sister," said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson, quoted by Common Ground News.
"This beautiful girl needed her father to protect her. He failed to do that."
Jurors were told that Barros knew his wife was abusing Sayra since August 2022, when teachers from Harbins Elementary School testified that when Sayra came to class with visible injuries, they reported the abuse out of concern for her safety.
When teachers began to question the parents, Barros pulled the girl from school and, despite having knowledge of his wife's abuse, left Sayra in her care to homeschool.
On the day of the incident, Barros' wife had reportedly been angry with the little girl for not doing her schoolwork and grabbed a wooden rolling pin from the kitchen before fatally beating Sayra Barros.
She has since been charged with murder and remains in custody pending trial.
