Philadelphia prosecutors say that 10-year-old Charlenni Ferreira endured so much abuse from her father and stepmother that every part of her body was beaten. According to authorities, the abuse began in 2006 and ended in 2009 when the little girl died from a “buildup of fluid inside her chest as a result of broken ribs," according to WGN.
On Friday, Margarita Garabito, 48, was sentenced to life in prison for Charlenni’s death. The girl’s father also was arrested but reportedly hanged himself shortly after landing in prison.
At one point during the abuse, Garabito reportedly split the child’s skull and used cotton and hair extensions to cover up the gash. Prosecutors told the court that “hair clips were used to affix the extensions and were embedded into her scalp like staples,” WGN reports.
Charlenni died nine days before she would have turned 11, according to the Associated Press, which also reported that Garabito allowed her son to rape the girl. The news service did not indicate whether Garabito’s son was arrested.