A Georgia man, Cledir Barros, was aware for over a year that his wife was abusing his 8-year-old daughter, Sayra Barros, according to prosecutors. Despite this knowledge, the 38-year-old father left his daughter alone with her stepmother, Natiela Barros. The stepmother allegedly beat the child to death with a rolling pin in late January when the girl failed to complete her homework. Both parents are facing charges related to the child’s death, with the cases being tried separately. Cledir Barros’ trial was the first to take place.
After two previous trials resulted in mistrials due to the jury’s inability to reach a unanimous verdict, the third trial saw Cledir Barros convicted of second-degree cruelty to children, as reported by the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office. The father was sentenced to eight years in prison and two years probation by the presiding judge.
District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson expressed her condolences to the three surviving sisters of Sayra Barros in a statement. She emphasized that the young girl needed her father’s protection, which he failed to provide.
Evidence presented at the trial showed that Cledir Barros had been aware of his wife’s abusive behavior towards Sayra since August 2022. Teachers at Harbins Elementary in Dacula testified that Sayra would arrive at school with visible injuries, which they reported to authorities. However, when questioned about the situation, Barros removed his daughter from the school and arranged for his wife to home-school her.
Despite the evidence, Cledir Barros maintained his innocence during his two-and-a-half-hour testimony at the trial. He claimed he was unaware of the abuse and stated that he had never seen any of his children injured from spanking. He also justified pulling Sayra out of school due to issues she was facing there, not at home. His defense lawyers highlighted that he was not at home for much of the week leading up to the murder due to his job as a truck driver.
In the aftermath of his daughter’s brutal death, Cledir Barros stated that he forgave his wife. He attributed his forgiveness to his faith, but clarified that it did not mean he condoned her actions.
Natiela Barros is currently facing charges of murder, aggravated assault, and child cruelty. Her case is still pending.
The Gwinnett County Police Department responded to a medical call at the Barros’ residence on January 30. Natiela Barros had been alone with Sayra when the child became unresponsive. Cledir Barros performed CPR on his daughter before calling 911. Upon their arrival, paramedics pronounced the girl dead at the scene. Homicide detectives were called in to investigate due to the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
Both parents were arrested in the days following the incident. An arrest affidavit cited by local media stated that Natiela Barros had beaten the girl with a wooden rolling pin multiple times and refused to seek medical care afterwards. The affidavit also noted that the girl had been hit in several areas, including the neck.
Before his arrest, Cledir Barros spoke to local media, expressing his disbelief at the situation. A neighbor also expressed shock, stating that she had never witnessed any violence at the Barros’ home.