Women’s Deaths at Home Double in State of São Paulo During Quarantine

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – The number of women murdered in the home has virtually doubled in the state of São Paulo during the quarantine to tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic, compared to the same period last year.

Since March 24th – when the closing of businesses, bars, and restaurants in the state became effective – to April 13th, 16 women have been murdered inside their homes. During the same period in 2019, nine deaths were recorded under this same condition, according to an examination of reports recorded in the state.

In the year to date there have been 55 women murdered in the home by April 13th, compared to 48 last year, an increase of 15 percent.

The study takes into account reports stating that the murders occurred at home, but given the fact that sometimes the box is not filled out by the authorities, the rate may be even higher. The data is preliminary and may change.

In addition, the reports show that of the 55 women killed, eight were murdered by their partner during quarantine, compared to only three last year – but the number tends to be higher because the victim’s relationship with the perpetrator is not recorded in 95 percent of reports.

The figures point to an increase in violence against women during this period of isolation, according to experts. A survey by the São Paulo Prosecutor’s Office shows that 66 percent of femicides were committed or attempted inside the victim’s home.

“Women were already living in a situation of violence, this is not something new brought about by the coronavirus. Confinement leads to escalation of conflicts, and women are murdered. Unfortunately, it is likely to increase even further in the coming months,” says Samira Bueno, director of the Brazilian Public Safety Forum and a researcher on the subject.

According to the researcher, several factors that contribute to this growth during quarantine are the increased consumption of alcoholic beverages and socioeconomic issues resulting from the loss of family income.

She recalls that in 2019 there had already been an increase in domestic violence compared to the previous year, a number that, with the confinement caused by the coronavirus, may grow even more.

A survey by the São Paulo Prosecutor’s Office published this week shows that women’s calls for emergency protective measures increased by 29 percent in March compared to February. The number rose from 1,934 to 2,500 in one month.

The number of arrests in the act for violence against women (homicide, threat, illegal constraint, unlawful imprisonment, injury, rape, etc.) also grew: 177 in February and 268 in March.

“There has already been a reduction in the number of police inquiries and prosecutions, not because violence has decreased, but rather because deadlines in the courts are suspended until the end of April. So we have chosen to bring urgent charges, such as precautionary measures and arrests in the act, which have not stopped during this period,” says prosecutor Valéria Scarance, one of those responsible for the study.

“The pandemic does not turn a man into a violent person. But the stress factors can lead a man who already carries these patterns inside him to commit the act or intensify them,” Scarance says.

Samira Bueno says the increase in deaths during quarantine was expected from the experience of other countries, such as China, Italy and France, where domestic violence has also increased.

World authorities, such as UN Secretary-General António Guterres, have spoken out against the escalation in violence. “I ask all governments to put the safety of women first in their responses to the pandemic,” the Portuguese wrote on social media.

Countries have devised different strategies to tackle the issue. The French government, for one, has decided to provide hotel rooms to victims of domestic violence and to open counselling centers. NGOs in Italy have launched campaigns for women to report when they go to the market or put out the trash, for instance, reminding them to delete their mobile phone call records.

Scarance says that the responsibility for ending domestic violence does not only rest with the victim, but that the community should also be attentive to it.

“In this isolation period, it’s very important that people stay alert and not be silent. If anyone hears acts of violence and aggression, the recommendation is that they immediately call 190,” the prosecutor says. “And for women, the recommendation is not to give up. There is physical isolation, but the networks are not isolated. Women can trigger protective services, people they trust, and ensure that they escape from this situation”.

Victims of domestic violence may report their abuse to the State Police, by calling 190; by dialing the federal government’s denunciation number, 180; at a women’s police station; or by visiting the prosecutor’s office or public defender’s office. In the capital of São Paulo, women can also seek the Casa da Mulher Brasileira (Brazilian Women’s House) in Vieira Ravasco street, 26, Cambuci, which operates 24 hours a day and refers the victim to the most appropriate service.

Denunciations can also be submitted through the Apps SOS Mulher (SOS Woman), of the Government of São Paulo, and Direitos Humanos Brasil (Human Rights Brazil), of the federal government.