A nine-year-old boy in Brazil has allegedly stabbed his mother to death following an argument about his behaviour, in a shocking case that has stunned the local community.
According to police, the incident occurred in the southern São Paulo neighbourhood of Parelheiros. The victim, 37-year-old shopkeeper Caline Arruda dos Santos, was reportedly scolding her son for playing in the street and warned she would inform a relative about his behaviour. Moments later, the boy is said to have gone to the kitchen, taken a knife, and hidden it under his sleeve before attacking his mother at the front door of their home.
Witnesses told investigators that after being stabbed in the abdomen, Caline uttered heartbreaking final words: “Come here and give me one last hug, because I won’t survive.” A neighbour rushed her to a nearby emergency department, but she was pronounced dead upon arrival at Parelheiros Hospital.
Authorities confirmed that due to his age, the boy cannot be criminally charged under Brazil’s child protection laws. He is now under the care of one of Caline’s cousins, who told reporters that the child appears unaware of the gravity of his actions, saying, “He knows his mother died only because another boy told him so.”
Police are continuing to investigate the case, which has raised difficult questions about child mental health and parental discipline in Brazil.
In a separate incident in the United States, 17-year-old Sarah Patrick was seen grinning in court after being charged with the murders of her mother and stepfather, Kirstin and James Brock, who were found shot dead in their Georgia home earlier this year.
Patrick, who later broke down in tears during the hearing, allegedly called police after her six-year-old sister discovered the bodies, then bizarrely reached out to true crime influencers on TikTok, offering “intel” on the case under the alias Sarah Grace.
Investigators revealed that months after the killings, Patrick continued to post emotional tributes to her parents on social media, writing: “I miss you guys, save a seat for me in heaven.”
She has been charged as an adult with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault. Her trial is scheduled for January 5, 2026.
