A Brazilian toddler has up to 40 sewing needles inside him, which police say were deliberately¹ inserted by his stepfather in a "black magic" ritual.

一名巴西幼童体内存有多达40枚手缝针，警方称这些针是他继父在一个“巫术”仪式上故意插入他体内。

X-rays showed up to 50 sewing needles inside the boy

Police said Roberto Carlos Magalhaes has confessed to inserting the needles into the two-year-old boy, who is in intensive care at a hospital.

Mr Magalhaes said his mistress told him to ritually仪式上地 kill the child to take revenge on实施报复 his wife.

Doctors will try to remove the needles, some 2in (5cm) long, from the boy.

The toddler幼童 was taken to hospital in the north-eastern Bahia state by his mother, complaining of stomach pains and vomiting².

X-rays showed scores of sewing needles inside his neck, torso躯干 and legs. At least one had punctured扎伤 a lung.

'Revenge attack'

Police said Mr Magalhaes broke down and confessed after being arrested.

"He did that for revenge, to get back at his wife," the police chief the town of Ibotirama, Helder Fernandes Santana, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

"His mistress told him to kill the child through a macabre⁴可怕的，以死亡为主题的 ritual," Mr Santana said.

The mother told police she suspected that the boy had been the victim of a black magic ritual after she found suspicious objects in the home she shared with Mr Magalhaes - her husband of six months - and her six children.

Doctors said most of the needles will be removed, but not the ones inside organs as their removal could cause more damage.

They said there were no signs of wounds on the boy.

Reports say the boy is in serious condition, but that he has shown some improvement since being admitted to hospital on Sunday.

Doctors initially⁵ said up to 50 needles had been inserted into the child, but later revised that figure to up to 40.