A 24-year-old Brazilian woman endured hours of horrific abuse at the hands of her ex-partner. He held her captive in a dark basement, chained her to a bed and gagged her so her cries for help could not be heard.
The young woman was found five days after she was abducted by Brazilian Military Police officers in the city of Águas Lindas de Goias. The girl had been missing since Monday, August 17. According to the Military Police, the investigation began when her family reported her missing.
Evidence immediately pointed to her ex-partner as the prime suspect and after a series of leads, he was placed under surveillance after changes were noticed in his routine.
Officers were taken to a rented property in a neighborhood, fenced and secured from the outside. Police heard noises inside the house and decided to enter. That's when they found the young woman in one of the rooms, chained to the bed.
"Inside one of the rooms, the victim was found locked up and with her lower and upper limbs, as well as her neck, bound with ropes, handcuffs and a chain. She also had difficulty breathing and signs of oxygen deprivation," the Military Police said in a statement.
She had a gas mask on so that neighbors wouldn't hear her screams. According to police, she was raped repeatedly over the course of five days, and the house was stocked with enough food and water to indicate the suspect planned to hold her captive for several more days.
Police provided first aid and called firefighters, who removed the chains holding the victim to the bed. She was taken to hospital, where she remains hospitalized but in stable condition.
A 9mm pistol was also seized at the scene. Police spotted the woman's ex-boyfriend driving a vehicle and arrested him following a pursuit after he refused to stop and fled at a high rate of speed. He is in custody and faces charges of kidnapping, rape and unlawful confinement. ©LAPSI.al
