A 41-year-old man was arrested on August 21, 2026, accused of trying to sell his own son, a child just 3 years old, for ten reais in Praça Sete, located in the center of Belo Horizonte. The Military Police reported that the amount requested would be used to purchase narcotics.
According to a police report, people who were at the scene offered to provide medical assistance to the individual, who refused the assistance. When asked about the identity of the minor, the man himself confirmed that the child was his son.
The man remained under restraint by people present in the square until the police teams arrived, and was subsequently detained. The child was promptly sent to the care of the Guardianship Council. The Civil Police clarified, in a note, that the suspect was charged with the crime of promising or actually handing over a child to third parties for payment or reward.
