Bill Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence Passed by Brazil’s Lower Chamber

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Thursday, July 9th, the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill establishing exceptional measures to guarantee the detention of perpetrators during the Covid-19 pandemic to women victims of violence. The bill will proceed to the Senate.

The text establishes the increase of places in shelters, which must comply with the rules to prevent the virus, such as distance between families; ventilated and sanitized environments; and offer of masks for individual protection. The public authorities will be in charge of renting houses, hotel rooms, private facilities, and spaces when there are no vacancies in shelters for these women.

The bill also provides low-income women in domestic violence situations, who are under decreed protective measures, the right to two emergency aid installments two months from the date of application. Currently, the monthly benefit amounts to R$600 (US$110), although for mothers who are householders it is R$1,200.

In crimes of domestic and family violence against women committed during the emergency period, the police authority will have 24 hours to submit the request for emergency protective measures to the courts. The judge concerned will have the same deadline to decree these measures.

The text provides for home assistance to record cases of rape, femicide, or imminent risk to the safety and integrity of women by the Specialized Police Stations of Assistance to Women.

According to the report “Domestic Violence during the Covid-19 Pandemic,” cases of femicide grew 22.2 percent between March and April this year in 12 Brazilian states, increasing from 117 to 143.

In Acre, there was a 300 percent increase in cases. Maranhão, with an increase from six to 16 victims (166.7 percent), and Mato Grosso, which began the bimester with six victims and ended it with 15 (150 percent), were also negative highlights.

The numbers dropped in only three states: Espírito Santo (-50 percent), Rio de Janeiro (-55.6 percent) and Minas Gerais (-22.7 percent).

The survey also points out that the records of intentional bodily injury dropped 25.5 percent and of rape of a vulnerable person by 28.2 percent. The document was produced by the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP) at the request of the World Bank.

“These figures do not reflect the dramatic increase in the number of cases of domestic and family violence against women since the start of the pandemic, quite the opposite. The reality shows us that women and their children are exceptionally more vulnerable during the health crisis we are now experiencing, and have had greater difficulty in lodging complaints against their attackers and seeking help and protection from public authorities,” argued Deputy Natalia Bonavides.

Source: Agência Brasil