Police in Brazil have seized a mum and her partner for beating their two-year-old daughter to death after a court consistently delayed permission for her biological father to have custody, because the mum complained he was gay.

Little Sophia was taken by her mother to an emergency care unit in Campo Grande, Brazil, on 26th January, but medics were only able to pronounce her dead.

Police later said she had been lifeless for around four hours by the time she was admitted. Prior to that, she had been feeling sick and had vomited.

Her grandmother – a 48-year-old teacher – revealed she had a bruised back and mouth, a bleeding nose, and a swollen abdomen from possible internal bleeding.

Cruel couple Stephanie de Jesus Dada Silva, 24, and Christian Campocano Leitheim were arrested the same day for aggravated murder.

They were remanded in custody two days later.

Police revealed that tragic Sophia had been treated by the Brazilian national health service more than 30 times.

One time, she had been treated for a fractured tibia from an alleged fall, but medics had failed to tell police after apparently believing the mother’s version of events.

Civil Police chief Anne Karine said two attacks on Sophia had been reported, one in March and another in November.

Investigations had identified her stepfather as the alleged perpetrator.

Her case had also been reported to the child services, with her biological father alleging that Sophia was being starved and attacked by her mother and stepfather.

Dad Igor de Andrade and his male partner had asked for custody of Sophia but claim that her mum’s homophobia had gone against them.

Igor told local media: “She said she wouldn’t leave her daughter with two men.”

He revealed that he was only allowed to visit his daughter after filing a lawsuit. Even then, he was only able to visit Sophia on her mother’s terms.

Igor told local media: “We went through several places to file a request for custody of my baby. The only thing we asked was to get my girl out of there.

“The woman was even arrested last year for mistreatment of animals.

“With that, we went back again to show the unhealthy situation my baby was experiencing, and then came the same answer, ‘You have to wait.'”

According to Igor, a hearing was held, but Silva failed to show up.

Now investigators have found that the home where Sophia lived with her mother and stepfather was full of rubbish and its balcony was covered in animal faeces.

Cigarette butts and packets, bottles of alcohol, and dirty pieces of furniture were also found in the foul-smelling home.

Investigations are ongoing.