Man Who ‘Forced’ Stepdaughter to Marry Him After Pregnancy Arrested After Her Dramatic ‘Escape’

Paraná Civil Police confirmed in a press release last week than an unnamed 51-year-old man in Araucária was arrested for rape, false imprisonment and stalking of his wife, who is also his former stepdaughter. Per the release, the man began abusing the woman when she was just 7, before she was allegedly “forced to marry him after becoming pregnant” when he and the girl’s mother split.

“During the relationship, which lasted for more than two decades, there were physical and psychological aggressions, restrictions on freedom, monitoring by cameras installed in the residence and control over the victim’s cell phone and movements,” authorities said in a statement translated from Portuguese. Per The Daily Mail, the woman said they had three children together.

The man also allegedly forced the woman to have sex with other men, while “the acts were recorded on video.”

“He forced me to pretend that I wanted it, but the men knew I was being forced there. I lost count,” the victim reportedly said. “There were more than 30. These episodes happened every two months, every three months.”

“I was scared, very scared, I still am. He said a lot of things to me. He threatened me,” she also allegedly claimed. “He said that if I wasn’t his, I wouldn’t be anyone else’s. He said that our separation would only mean death.”

Police say the victim “managed to escape” by claiming she needed to visit a medical center. Instead, she went to the police station and filed a report.

“While filing the report, [the victim] received threats from the attacker via phone and audio messages,” said authorities — with Daily Mail saying they reportedly read, “Go home, otherwise you’re going to have serious problems with me. What’s going on? Talk to me, otherwise I’m coming after you.”

“After witnessing the stalking, the police team went to the suspect’s residence, where he tried to hide but was captured,” authorities said in the release. They then seized the surveillance cameras, as well as “videos of the abuse on his cell phone.”

The woman and her children have since been “taken to a safe place,” said police.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.