After a trial that lasted around five hours, the parents of twins Wagner Wesley da Silva and Mary Diane da Silva, who died of asphyxiation in a car in Júlio de Castilhos, were acquitted due to lack of responsibility. The verdict was communicated by judge Roberto Nazário at around 2:30 pm, after deliberation by the jury made up of three men and two women.
Photo: Montage/Personal Archive / Porto Alegre 24 hours
During the trial, the children’s mother, Liliane Soares da Silva, was present, but left after a few minutes, citing emotional conditions. Her father, Clemar Silveira da Silva, did not attend, and no witnesses were called.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) changed the classification of the case to manslaughter, without intent to kill, and the defense corroborated this version, admitting the defendants’ carelessness. The tragic incident occurred on January 24, 2016, when the four-year-old children were found lifeless inside the family vehicle, on an intensely hot day.
The Civil Police investigation concluded that the children died of asphyxiation due to the poorly oxygenated environment inside the car, with temperatures reaching 40°C. The mother, 27 years old at the time, reported having left her children on the couch while she took a shower and, when she came out, she did not find them. They were later found unconscious inside the vehicle.
Although they were initially charged with intentional homicide with intent to kill, the court acquitted the parents of the charges. The couple, who are no longer together, continue to live in different municipalities.
