GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County father accused of not doing enough to protect his daughter before her death is being re-tried.
There was a mistrial just last week after a jury couldn’t reach a verdict.
Cledir Barros will once again stand trial for second-degree child cruelty. The father is accused of not doing enough to protect his 8-year-old daughter Sayra before her brutal death in January.
Police say his wife, Natiela Barros, beat her to death with a wooden rolling pin while angry with her stepdaughter at their home near Bethlehem.
On Wednesday, a new jury listened to opening statements from both sides.
“He called her a demon,” said Assistant District Attorney Megan Matteucci. “He told his teachers this little girl was possessed by a demon and that she was his punishment for being unfaithful in his relationship.”