A man who strangled his 21-year-old pregnant girlfriend to death when she refused to take medication to have an abortion has been jailed for almost 40 years.

Carlos Pinho do Santos, 26, had tried to persuade his four months pregnant girlfriend Marcela Aranda to have an abortion during a confrontation in Sao Sebastiao da Bela Vista in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

When she refused, he strangled her and then dumped her lifeless body on the banks of the Sapucaí River, near the Paraiso dos Pescadores neighbourhood on 8th February, 2020.

In the same month, he went to the police station and tried to tell them that it was an accident. He also told them where the body was to be found.

When police arrived at the scene, they discovered the body was already in an advanced state of decomposition, meaning that she had probably been killed much earlier.

He was tried and convicted of genocide and also concealment of a course for hiding the body for some time before dumping it by the river.

His lawyers believed that this confession was mitigating circumstances and were shocked when he was jailed for 38 years and five months. They appealed but the court has now confirmed in a unanimous judgement by all three judges that the sentence is justified and he will now have to start his sentence.

Judge Fatima Gomes said: “The confession was simply an attempt to avoid responsibility and if possible even conviction over the crime. Inevitably truthfully and therefore any suggestion that there is mitigating circumstances is inappropriate.”

She added: “We need to send a signal about how seriously the courts treat them aside, and a high penalty is the only option in this case.”

She added the circumstances of the case demonstrated that the murder had been coldhearted, insensitive and motivated by hatred with a complete lack of compassion for any other human beings, including not just his girlfriend but her unborn child.”