Toddler Drowned in Washing Machine. Now Her Stepmother Has Reportedly Been Charged with Murder

A stepmother in Brazil is facing a murder charge after a 3-year-old girl drowned after falling into a washing machine, according to multiple reports.

Isabelly Oliveira Assumpção died on May 7, 2022, in Cascavel in the state of Paraná, and now the Public Ministry of Paraná has charged her stepmother, Suzana Dazar dos Santos, with allegedly causing the girl’s death, per local outlets including Globo-operated news agency G1, CNN Brasil and UOL.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Paraná “classified the crime as intentional homicide,” according to UOL.

According to a translated CNN Brasil report, citing a complaint by the judiciary, Santos allegedly placed the little girl on a bench in front of the appliance, which was full of water at the time, as well as putting toys in the machine and left her alone in the room.

The crime was allegedly motivated by jealousy, due partly to the fact Isabelly’s father was still close to her mother, given that they had a daughter together, G1 reports, citing the complaint, which was obtained by TV Globo-affiliated station RPC Cascavel.

The outlet reported Santos’ defense attorneys claimed the little girl’s death — which occurred the day before Mother’s Day 2022 in Brazil — was an “accident.”

Attorney Paulo Hara Júnior said that Santos had a “good relationship” with her stepdaughter, adding that there was “no evidence that she intended to take her life,” per the translated G1 report.

Attorney Alexander Beilner, defending Isabelly’s mother, said the suspect “prepared the entire situation for the crime to happen,” according to the outlet, which reported that the little girl died due to internal mechanical asphyxia (drowning).

Isabelly’s father, Alex dos Santos Assumpção, told RPC Cascavel of the updates in the case, “Nothing will repair the loss, having lost her, but justice will calm our hearts a little. […] Due to the evidence that we have, that has come and that is yet to come, we believe that they are absolutely right.” 

“These recent times have not been easy for us, because it is an irreparable loss, I can say that I do not want anyone to go through what we went through, but I want justice to be served,” he added, per G1.

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“We are very happy with the MP’s statement. We have always believed in justice. We always knew that we could trust justice. And the facts are there, and there is more to come. We have never accused anyone. We just want justice for our daughter,” the little girl’s father continued, according to the publication.

Per UOL, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is requesting that Santos be brought before a jury trial. G1 reported on Jan. 28 that the suspect’s defense team has 10 days to respond to the case.

The Ministério Público Federal (MPF), which is the Brazilian Prosecution Service, told PEOPLE in a statement, “This case is being monitored by the Paraná Public Prosecutor’s Office.”

PEOPLE was unable to find a contact for the lawyers representing the suspect and the family.