Little girl, 8, found dead on sofa after online challenge saw her ‘turn purple’

Sarah Raissa, eight, was found laying unconscious at her home by her horrified grandfather, now her mum sent a warning to other parents after the youngster’s tragic death

An eight year old girl died after reportedly participating in an online ‘deodorant challenge’.

Sarah Raissa was found unconscious on the sofa by her shocked grandfather, with a phone and a spray deodorant beside her.

She had “purple fingers and lips” and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition, but tragically she died three days later.

Authorities in Brazil are now probing into the circumstances of her death and have noted that the pillow she was found on was drenched in the deodorant substance.

It is feared she was taking part in a social media trend known as “chroming”, which involves inhaling fumes from a toxic source, like an aerosol deodorant, and sharing the results on social media.

This challenge has previously resulted in serious burns, and it is feared that Sarah’s death was caused by inhaling the aerosol.

Her devastated mother, Maria Fabiana, said: “I left her all ready for school and went to work. The last memory I have of her was in good health.

“I have another daughter who is 13 years old and she has always been very close to Sarah, always just the two of them, she is very shaken. So, I have to stay strong to help her, even though I am dying, along with Sarah.”

Police confiscated the mobile that Sarah was using as they aimed to identify who produced and disseminated the video that the eight year old viewed.

Officials said that if someone is convicted, they could face charges of double-qualified homicide, with a potential sentence of up to 30 years behind bars.

Sarah’s father, Cassio, criticised social media platforms for their lack of filters to shield children from potentially harmful online content.

He commented: “These platforms, which are there, full of children watching, full of life to live, have no filter. Why are there no filters for children’s videos?”.

After Sarah’s funeral on Monday, her mother issued a stark warning to parents with young children: “Watch your children. The internet killed my daughter.”

The school where Sarah was a pupil paid its respects to the girl and shut for a mourning period.

Her teacher, Izabella Nogueira, remembered Sarah as an exceptional student, saying: “A very affectionate, very calm girl, who captivated everyone every day. We taught them to dream, to spread their wings. And now we have to hand it over to God.”

While an autopsy has determined Sarah’s cause of death, the details are currently being held by the police.

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