A young nanny who police say was imprisoned and forced into prostitution by her boss has been found dead in Brazil. Her employer is suspected of being involved in the death.
Geovana Martins, 20, was reported missing on August 19 and her body was found the next day in a wooded area in the northern Brazilian city of Manaus.
Police arrested her employer, Camila da Silva, on Wednesday in connection with Martins’ death, saying Martins may have been beaten and tortured.
The young woman was hired a year ago to care for Da Silva’s daughter.
According to police, Geovana Martins, 20, was forced into prostitution after being hired to work as a nanny
Investigators allege that Da Silva used the house as a prostitution site and that she prevented Martins from leaving.
“She was seduced into a life of partying and drinking, but then Camila began to force her to stay there,” said police chief Marília Campello, according to Brazilian news outlet G1‘They wouldn’t let her go outside even though she wanted to, and she was sexually exploited.’
In February, a video was posted on TikTok showing da Silva and Martins dancing together.
Camila da Silva (left) dances in a TikTok video with her nanny Geovana Martins, who was found dead in a forest area in the northern Brazilian city of Manaus
Although other young women were also forced to perform sex work in the home, Martins was the only victim living in the house.
“This victim was practically forced to perform sexual acts. From what we have discovered, the house functioned as a massage parlor,” Campello said. “In addition to Geovana, other girls came, but the victim lived there and could not have relationships with outsiders.”
Martins’ mother, Maria Costa, told G1 she did not know her daughter had been forced to work as a prostitute.
“So far we don’t know anything. She’s never told me anything,” Costa said. “It’s painful, knowing she was working with someone and then finding out my daughter is dead.”
Eduardo Gomes is wanted in connection with the death of Geovana Martins
Investigators allege Geovana was prevented from leaving the home where she worked
Amazonas Civil Police announced Thursday that they are searching for a second suspect, Eduardo Gomes, who reportedly owned the vehicle that transported Martin’s body.
Gomes is the son of the owner of the house that da Silva rented.
“The car belonged to Eduardo and had already been sold to someone else,” Campello said. “However, the suspect loaned the vehicle and returned it after Geovana disappeared. The car was returned clean to the new owner, who has already made a statement and the car.”
Campello said Da Silva, who has been arrested in the past for drug trafficking, scared Martins by telling her she was married to Mano Kaio, a known drug dealer in Amazonas who is wanted by authorities. He threatened to harm her if she left the house.
Authorities discovered that Camila da Silva had purchased a flight to Europe
“She said she would call the drug traffickers to break Geovana’s leg and threatened to do so,” Campello said.
Investigators discovered that Da Silva had booked a flight to Europe and that her family, including her mother and uncles, lived in France.
Martins had received her passport in June and police suspect that Da Silva wanted to use Martins as a drug courier and also wanted to force her to have sex outside the country.
Campello said investigators are still looking into the motive behind Martins’ death.
“We still can’t confirm the exact motivation, as the suspect denies committing the crime,” she said. “But we have enough evidence, and that’s why she was arrested.”