A young mum who stabbed her own three-year-old son to death in an apparent act of ‘revenge’ for her separation with her then-husband has been sentenced to nearly 30 years behind bars.
The court in the Brazilian city of Altamira sentenced Millena Iris Santos da Paixao on Wednesday 1st September to 29 years and six months in prison for aggravated homicide after she was found guilty of stabbing her own three-year-old son, Marcos Paulo Vieira, to death.
The crime took place in the nearby municipality of Medicilandia on the evening of 11th December 2019. Millena was 23 years old at the time.
Following the crime, Millena attempted suicide by stabbing herself with the same knife, and she was later taken to hospital in Altamira, where she was treated for her serious injuries. Following her recovery, she was charged over her son’s killing.
At the time of the crime, local residents alleged that Millena killed her son following a row with her husband about them separating.
Her friends also noted that following her suicide attempt, she uploaded a photo of her bloodied self to social media with the caption: “Love your wife. Marriage is serious.”
Millena claimed she had a psychotic episode at the time and she even penned a note following her arrest asking for forgiveness for not having “helped her son”.
Millena was taken into preventive custody in the city of Santarem in 2019, and following her conviction, she will return to the same prison to serve the remainder of her sentence.