A Brazilian mother, Erica Pereira da Silveira Vicente, is being acquitted by a jury after she admitted killing her boyfriend, saying she acted to protect her 11-year-old daughter from an attempted rape in their home.

The jury at the 2º Tribunal do Júri in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, cleared her on Tuesday of aggravated homicide, destroying a corpse and corrupting a minor after one day of testimony.

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The events began when Erica discovered disturbing text messages her boyfriend, Everton Amaro de Silva, had sent to her daughter, she went to confront him and found him forcing himself on the screaming girl in their apartment in the Taquaril neighbourhood of Belo Horizonte on 11 April 2025.

Erica said she acted to stop the attack on her child.

According to ESTADO DE MINAS reports, she spiked Everton’s drink with Klonopin, a medication used to treat seizures and while he was unconscious, she stabbed him.

A teenager helped Erica carry Everton’s body to a wasteland area in Belo Horizonte, there, she cut off the man’s testicles and set fire to his body.

Police linked Erica to the death after following a trail of blood back to her apartment, confronting her, she handed over the murder weapon and confessed to the killing.

Erica insisted she acted only to save her daughter, after catching Everton trying to rape her 11-year-old girl.

Prosecutors argued the brutality showed “not in blind rage but with cold premeditation”.

The jury rejected this and sided with Erica’s account of defending her child.

The mother had spent about a year in custody awaiting trial and after the verdict, she was released.