A man has been ordered to pay damages after filing a police report accusing a two-year-old child of assaulting his own toddler during a schoolyard scuffle.

The incident took place in Aguas Claras, in Brazil's Federal District, and the decision from the 3rd Civil Court was published at the end of July 2025.

The man, a lawyer, had accused the child of "bodily harm" after he allegedly slapped his son, who is the same age.

In a digital police report filed in August 2024, he described the toddler as a "relentless bully" with "a history of violence" and failed to mention the child’s age.

The mother of the accused child said the dispute began the previous month when her son slapped the other boy twice while both were at school.

She said she apologised to the child and his father at the time and explained to her son that they were friends.

But she claimed that the father did not even attempt to resolve things through conversation and instead went directly to the police.

He stated he had acted to protect his son and that his actions were "legitimate and supported by the regular exercise of a right."

The mother of the accused child filed a civil case, and Judge Marcia Regina Araujo Lima ruled in her favour, ordering the complainant to pay BRL 4,000 (GBP 540) in moral damages for what she described as the "abusive" use of legal and child protection systems.

In a statement, the judge said: "The defendant – a lawyer and, therefore, knowledgeable about the law – chose to omit relevant data, such as the age of the children involved, each aged two, and described the author as a 'relentless tormentor', giving the appearance of a criminal."

The accused child’s mother said the events caused her son emotional distress, with the child experiencing night terrors and behaviour changes after learning about the police complaint.

In his defence, the father stated that his actions were aimed solely at defending his child.

He said the situation had been reported using appropriate legal terminology and denied that the descriptions were intended to mislead or offend.

He said evidence included footage and audio recordings and claimed other parents had made similar complaints.

He added that he would appeal the decision.

(Mike Leidig / newsX)