After six years of legal proceedings, a court in Espírito Santo, Brazil, has officially recognized a child as having three fathers and one mother.
Ana Paula Morbeck, the lawyer representing the ten-year-old, explained to CNN Brasil that the child was initially registered at birth with his biological father and mother.
However, due to instability in his parents’ marriage, the boy’s paternal uncle and his husband took on a significant caregiving role.
“What was supposed to be sporadic became routine, and this created an emotional bonding with the then-baby,” Morbeck told CNN Brasil.
Following his biological parents’ divorce, the child moved in permanently with his uncle and his husband, who provided him with love, stability, and support.
“They took care of his health, education, food, recreation, and they also gave him all the love and security for his healthy development,” the lawyer said.
As he grew older and started school, the boy expressed his desire for formal recognition of his reality—having three fathers.
The family initiated a legal battle in 2019, but their request was initially denied. The court ruled that changing paternal custody could only occur through adoption.
“That wasn’t what the family wanted, because the child recognizes his biological parents and considers them as such, despite having strong bonds with his socio-affective parents,” Morbeck explained.
A breakthrough came on January 21, when another tribunal ruled in favour of the family, officially granting legal parenthood to the same-sex couple in addition to the child’s biological parents.
“A decision like this recognizes that families come in many forms, many types, and strengthens bonds of affection,” Morbeck emphasized.
Same-sex adoption has been legal in Brazil since 2010, and this case further affirms the country’s recognition of diverse family structures.
