RIO DE JANEIRO - A two-year-old Brazilian boy pierced with 31 sewing needles by his black-magic believing stepfather underwent a second operation Wednesday to remove 14 from his body, a hospital spokeswoman said.

"Surgery lasted almost three hours and was successful. They removed 14 needles that were piercing his liver, bladder and intestines," said the spokeswoman for the Ana Nery Hospital, where the boy is being treated in northeastern Salvador de Bahia.

"Now only one more operation remains to be done next week," she added.

The final surgery is most delicate and risky since it involves removing two needles lodged near the boy's spinal column, the spokeswoman said.

Other needles will not be removed since they pose no harm to the boy, she added.

The boy's identity is being withheld because of his young age.

The stepfather, Roberto Carlos Magalhaes, a 30-year-old bricklayer, has confessed to driving the needles into the boy one by one, over a month, as part of a black magic ritual designed to exact revenge on his wife.

He said he intended to kill the boy with the slivers, and acted under the influence of his mistress, who was also arrested along with the alleged "sorceress" who oversaw the ceremonies.

The boy already had one operation last Friday to remove some of the needles from close to his heart and lungs, where they had become infected and were threatening his life.

As Brazilians were getting over the initial shock of the ritualistic piercing, a similar case made the news on Wednesday.

The boy in the northern state of Maranhao, also two years old, was apparently perforated with the slivers by his father, police told AFP.

"Everything indicates the father participated in black magic rituals," said police chief Armando Pacheco, adding that the father has been place in preventive custody.

The parents were denying any responsibility, but custody of the boy has been given to his grandparents, Pacheco said.

According to police, doctors discovered the needles inside the boy's body in August and removed two of them.